PSV beats Napoli 6-2 in Champions League thriller

It was Bosz-ball in the best and most spectacular form that PSV presented in the enthusiastically sympathetic Eindhoven football temple. The great Napoli, which had invested 115 million euros this season and was able to bring in many big names including Kevin De Bruyne, received a major boost and that is a major achievement.

With the great victory, PSV, which drew heavily in the group stage, has risen to the middle of the Champions League standings.

The evening for PSV starts off on a downer

The beautiful European evening started on a downer. Sergiño Dest had enthusiastically announced a day before that he was going to “wage war” against Napoli, but the right back was not in the list of PSV players when the Champions League anthem blared through the Philips Stadium just before nine.

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Dest had reported to the club too late for the match meeting and Bosz showed no mercy. “Sergiño was late, then you don’t play. That is not a difficult choice at all, we have made agreements. Everyone has to adhere to that, including him,” the PSV coach said beforehand.

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Players arriving late appear to be a persistent phenomenon at PSV. Last season it happened to Ismael Saibari twice and to Malik Tillman once. This time it was Ryan Flamingo, who took advantage of a teammate arriving late. The defender, who was initially going to start on the bench, kicked off as a right back.

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Without Noa Lang, who started on the bench, but with Sam Beukema in the starting line-up, it was Napoli that initially seized the initiative, but the first really big opportunities were for PSV through Dennis Man and Guus Til. He was once again preferred by Bosz in the striker position, after the original midfielder had filled that position well against Go Ahead Eagles. Another factor that plays a role is that Ricardo Pepi was not yet physically ready for a starting position.

History repeated itself negatively for PSV. Just like in the previous Champions League match against Bayer Leverkusen, Bosz’s team saw an early opening goal disallowed due to offside. Now it was Saibari, who was just offside after a good cross from Dennis Man.

After just over half an hour it was Napoli that opened the scoring. After a perfect cross from Leonardo Spinazzola, Scott McTominay headed in the opening goal (1-0). The equalizer quickly followed, with PSV also participating in the Champions League. It was not a good day for Napoli defender Alessandro Buongiorno, who, under pressure from the tireless Til, headed the ball into his own goal from Ivan Perisic’s turning cross (1-1).

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The Eindhoven side immediately scored 2-1, with Jerdy Schouten first tackling the ball with dedication in his own box, then Perisic entering the game with just as much grinta, after which Til was able to send away Saibari, who had started from his own half. He completed a masterful sprint with a convincing 2-1. An excellent counter goal.

Bosz replaced Yarek Gasiorowski with Armando Obispo at halftime, because the Spanish defender had already been booked and the German referee Daniel Siebert had eagerly drawn cards in the first half. Napoli started an offensive, but it was PSV that quickly took control of the match and was rewarded with the 3-1. Veerman, who once again showed that he cannot excel alone against PEC Zwolle, found Mauro Junior with a through ball, who then cleverly prepared Man’s 3-1.

It was the signal for Napoli coach Antonio Conte to bring Noa Lang into the team as an additional attacking asset. The left winger, who switched from PSV to Napoli last summer, was respectfully welcomed by the Eindhoven public with applause and cheers in gratitude for his services over the past two seasons.

Lang couldn’t make any mistakes and that also applied to ex-Ajax player David Neres, who was welcomed with a shrill flute concert. The biggest chances were still for PSV, but Til, Man and Schouten failed to increase the score further. A very special moment was the red card for Lorenzo Lucca. The former Ajax striker reacted full of frustration towards referee Daniel Siebert, pointing his finger to his forehead. The German did not appreciate the ‘tapping gesture’ and drew a red card.

PSV continued to lead thanks to a fantastic goal from Man, saw McTominay score from a corner kick, but in the final phase he still rubbed some salt in the wound for the proud Italians. First, Ricardo Pepi, who had just come on, made it 5-2 on a pass from Couhaib Driouech, who had also just joined the team, and then Driouech himself brilliantly scored his first Champions League goal: 6-2. The PSV crowd stood on the benches and danced after a wonderful evening of football.