PSV has a unique opportunity ahead of it. The Eindhoven club can reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time since 2007. To do this, it has to deal with Borussia Dortmund. After the 1-1 draw in Eindhoven, all cards are on the table in Dortmund. At PSV they believe in a good outcome.
Peter Bosz already indicated on Friday that the jitters were increasing in the run-up to the cracker against Borussia Dortmund. For the trainer and many players, it will be the highest level they have ever performed at. Still, there is a good opportunity to reach the quarter-finals after the 1-1 draw in Eindhoven.
“We seriously feel that we can reach the quarter-finals,” Guus Til said a day before the match. “This is the highest stage I have ever played on. Everything will have to be right on Wednesday evening. It lives within the group to continue.”
“It seems like the longer a player is out, the better you make him.”
At PSV, in the run-up to the important match against Dortmund, a lot was about the availability of Joey Veerman. The midfielder is one of the most important players in Bosz’s team this year, but has been injured in recent weeks. Veerman traveled with the Eindhoven team to Germany, but the trainer could not yet say whether he could play.
“We will train on Tuesday evening, after which Joey will have to decide for himself how he feels.” This comment was followed by a plea from the coach. “I understand that you want to talk a lot about Joey Veerman. But we have more than one good footballer in our team. That has been our strength this year and that is why we are in the eighth finals of the Champions League. Sometimes it seems that the longer a player is out, the better you make him,” he referred to the media present.
“The atmosphere will depend on how well we play football.”
The ambiance on Wednesday evening is probably also of the highest level. 80,000 supporters are expected in the Westfalenstadion, of which 5,000 will cheer for PSV. Peter Bosz was a trainer at Borussia Dortmund in the past and has his own experiences.
“There is a real football atmosphere here. But I don’t want to overdo it. We played football in several large stadiums this season. Ultimately the atmosphere will depend on how well we play football. We want to play the stadium quietly.”