On a chilly, misty January evening, an unlikely escape fails. PSV could hope for a sequel in the Champions League against Bayern Munich on Wednesday. The team from Eindhoven constantly floated back and forth between joy and disappointment. It was the latter: Bayern won 1-2 in the final phase, thanks to a hard long-range shot from attacker Harry Kane.
It turns out not to be enough on this thrilling, changing evening of denouement in the second edition of the new style Champions League. Due to the defeat at home, PSV drops to place 28 on the last match day, four places below the limit that entitles them to an intermediate round. The ecstasy is reserved for others this Wednesday. Such as the Portuguese Benfica, which qualified at the last minute thanks to a goal in the eighth minute of injury time.
It already seemed unlikely beforehand. With eight points from seven matches, PSV was at 22ste place in the rankings, which gave coach Peter Bosz’s team good chances by statisticians. But at least ten teams were able to pass the leader in the Eredivisie on the last matchday. One point therefore seemed to be a minimum requirement, preferably three. How realistic is that against Bayern Munich, one of the most dominant European teams of the moment?
It makes Wednesday’s match a match that at times feels like a final, at least from Eindhoven’s perspective. When the PSV team bus turns into the Frederiklaan behind the Philips stadium just under an hour and a half before kick-off, thick rows of fans have already gathered around the crowd barriers. One by one the players step out, their eyes focused on the entrance or on the vowels. Ears in or headphones on, fully concentrated on what is to come.
They know that anything is possible this season. After all, what PSV showed in Europe earlier this season cannot be explained logically. It all started with a rather hopeless defeat against the small Belgian Union Saint-Gilloise, followed by a draw against Bayer Leverkusen, a team in crisis at that time. And when visiting Olympiacos, PSV only secured a point in the last minute.
In a normal world, Bosz’s team would have had no chance, because the remaining opponents were much tougher. But then suddenly there was that unlikely surprise against Napoli, the reigning champions of Italy: 6-2. And again a few weeks later, 3-1 against Liverpool FC, British champions last season. So why not another outlier on Wednesday?
It presents Bosz with a choice: try to hold on to a draw, or go all out for the win, with the risk that Bayern will strike mercilessly in the event of a mistake. It soon becomes apparent that it will be option two. PSV immediately put pressure on Bayern after the kick-off. Attacking midfielder Ismael Saibari sprints fiercely at the central defenders, controller Joey Veerman follows opponent Joshua Kimmich high up the field.
The visitors seem surprised by this and stagger for a moment. After just two minutes, PSV gets a great chance and can mount an attack in front of Bayern’s goal. There is no shot, because Til’s pass to winger Dennis Man is not yet intercepted. During the corner kick that follows, left forward Ivan Perisic is completely free on the edge of the penalty area. His attempt lands on the roof of the goal.
Fearless
PSV plays fearlessly and is better than the visitors in parts of the match. At the same time, the threat of Bayern is never far away. When captain Jerdy Schouten covers in midfield and then loses a game there, things suddenly open up. The fact that there is no chance is due to carelessness: winger Luis Díaz is played in an offside position. Just like moments later, right back Tom Bischof rows a good chance meters over the PSV goal.
The threat rather comes from fields elsewhere in Europe. On phones, spectators see how FC Copenhagen surprisingly took the lead over FC Barcelona. How Athletic Bilbao makes 2-1 against Sporting Lisbon and also passes PSV in the virtual standings. Just before half time, PSV drops another place, outside the top 24, as Napoli takes the lead at Chelsea. It seems that the home team has to perform stunts, one point is no longer enough.
Even in the second half, the telephones are never far away in the Philips stadium. There are some shouts when it turns out that Athletic conceded an equalizer. The same thing happened to Napoli shortly afterwards. Suddenly the intermediate round comes into view again, albeit briefly. After almost an hour, Saibari gives a sloppy pass, after which Bayern quickly crosses the field. Jamal Musiala shoots hard past PSV goalkeeper Matej Kovar in the short corner.
The resistance then seems broken. PSV looks less energetic and suffers from aches and pains. The faith has faded somewhat when the team receives a throw-in more than ten minutes before the end. The ball bounces off a Bayern attacker and ends up at Saibari’s feet. He plays Til, gets him back, and scores: 1-1, PSV shoots up in the virtual standings. The name Ismael Saibari sounds from the stands, to the tune of Gloria in excelsis Deo.
Energy up
All that remains is to defend the result. But the energy is up, while Bayern can still bring plenty of fresh, world-class players into the team. If Díaz breaks out just before the end, defender Sergino Dest can no longer follow. With his cross, Díaz finds substitute Kane, who shoots hard into the roof of the goal from far away. Back to place 28, and an imminent elimination. The 3-1 almost follows shortly afterwards.
It is a blow that hits hard, as the referee blows the whistle shortly afterwards. Goal scorer Saibari drops to his knees and bows his head towards the grass. Midfielder Paul Wanner leans tiredly with his hands on his thighs. Matej Kovar stands with his hands on his hips, his head thrown back, and looks straight up into the dark sky. He doesn’t seem to notice when a Bayern substitute comes to compliment him.
The journalistic principles of NRC
