PSV beat Maccabi Tel Aviv 1-0 on Thursday evening. In the interim round of the Conference League, the Eindhoven players left the very weak visitors alive. The return in Israel can therefore still be exciting.
After PSV was eliminated in the preliminary rounds of the Champions League and the group stage of the Europa League, the Conference League now remains. The fact that PSV has gone down to UEFA’s third European tournament was noticeable on the field.
Maccabi Tel Aviv was of such a mediocre level. PEC Zwolle and Sparta showed more than the Israelis on a visit to Eindhoven earlier this season. It was a team of nothing and so PSV seemed to be playing with the handbrake.
After eleven minutes it was Cody Gakpo who gave the home team the lead. After a nice assist from Mauro Júnior, the left winger moved in and hit the short corner. It looked like it was going to be a nice evening, because in the ten minutes that followed PSV had two big chances. The team always encountered goalkeeper Peretz.
half power
After that, the match really took off. PSV had the ball but did too little with it. It was sloppy in possession so Maccabi could easily stop. If PSV would only give a few percent more, the return next week would become a formality.
The home side’s weak play could also be due to the puzzle that Roger Schmidt had to solve before the game. Jordan Teze was the only fit central defender, which meant that Philipp Max (first half) and Erick Gutiérrez (second half) had to play in the center back. But really that shouldn’t be an excuse against a very weak Maccabi Tel Aviv.
The second half also started very slow. As it was tame in the stands. You notice from everything that the Conference League still has to make a name for itself in the Netherlands. The new tournament will only come to life in later rounds, for now it still feels too much like a consolation prize for PSV.
Unnecessarily exciting return
PSV could already have had one leg in the next round on Thursday evening if it had been just a bit sharper and fiercer. It had nothing to fear from the visitors. Despite the fact that the 1-0 win is normally a good starting point for the return, the people of Eindhoven make it unnecessarily exciting.
In Israel, a very different Maccabi Tel Aviv may be waiting, supported by the home crowd. However, reaching the next round should not be a problem for PSV. It would be a shame if it doesn’t work out.