Head coach Ricky Sbragia shuffled his pack for the Group F fixture, handing several players some valuable game time. Paul Woolston made his competitive debut for the club in goal, after signing on the back of a successful trial last year. Matty Willock was back in the engine room following his loan at St Mirren while there were also starts for Italian defender Luca Ercolani and no.10 DJ Buffonge, with Matthew Olosunde back from injury and on the bench, alongside four Under-18s and keeper Alex Fojticek.
As was anticipated, the tie was an ideal opportunity to come up against a different type of opponent with PSV adopting a patient passing approach, providing a real contrast to the more direct and physical style often encountered in Premier League 2 football.