PSV has escaped disgrace in the TOTO KNVB Cup. The Eindhoven team seemed to lose 2-3 to Kitchen Champion Division club Excelsior on Tuesday evening, but in the very last seconds Ismael Saibari shot the equalizer against the ropes. In extra time, PSV proved too strong for the Rotterdam team with 5-4 and went into the quarter-finals.
There are regular surprises in the cup tournament, but PSV coach Peter Bosz dared to shuffle his starting team considerably. Compared to the last competition match against AZ, seven new players were given a starting place. Ricardo Pepi, Joey Veerman and Johan Bakayoko, among others, were allowed to show themselves from the first minute.
PSV had much more ball possession in the first half (76 versus 24 percent) and had several chances to open the score. Bakayoko in particular was a plague for the Excelsior defense, but the Belgian was not in the clear. After half an hour he did score, although the attacker was lucky that defender Django Warmerdam surprised his excellently playing goalkeeper Calvin Raatsie by touching a cross. Bakayoko only had to tap in and let the 22,000 spectators cheer. However, on the advice of the VAR, referee Allard Lindhout disallowed the goal for offside.
Shortly afterwards, PSV was disadvantaged by the arbitration when Guus Til was knocked down in the penalty area. Lindhout did not point to the spot and the VAR did not intervene. Excelsior survived and had a great chance to make it 0-1 shortly before the half-time signal. Attacker Lance Duijvestijn took advantage of incorrect defending and appeared face to face with Joël Drommel. However, the goalkeeper who is allowed to keep the cup matches saw the bet go wide. A few minutes later it happened. Drommel made a mistake in extra time during a dead set piece and saw Noah Naujoks score before his eyes.
Excelsior strikes
It was the guests who did not choose to defend the 0-1, but rather brazenly hunted for the 0-2. That second goal almost came early in the second half, but Drommel prevented another goal with a clever save. The 0-2 did appear on the scoreboard after 58 minutes when Naujoks again headed home from a corner.
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The ‘PSV wake up’ sounded from the stands and with the freshmen Malik Tillman, Luuk de Jong and Ismael Saibari, the home team started an offensive for the tying goal. However, the game shown became weaker and weaker.
Tension increases
After 72 minutes the 1-2 score followed. Substitute Tillman got the ball at his feet in the goal area and pulled the trigger. The equalizer was in the air, but Bosz’s team played too sloppily to create real opportunities. Excelsior had less trouble scoring and reached 1-3 ten minutes before the end. First a duel was won on fierceness, then on speed and then Duijvestijn was the final station.
Pepi gave the Eindhoven team hope by scoring his team 2-3 in the 86th minute after a cross from substitute Ivan Perisic. All or nothing was then the motto and ten of the eleven PSV players were deep in the Excelsior half. It didn’t seem to work out, but a few seconds before the end of the match the equalizer was scored. It was Saibari with the 3-3 that almost made the stadium explode with joy.
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Immediately after the goal, Lindhout blew the whistle and extra time awaited. PSV, which was almost the team from the last competition match again with all the substitutes, wanted to destroy the opponent, but the guests turned out to be tough. After 12 minutes in the first extra time, PSV took the lead for the first time. Pepi escaped on the edge of offside and the American finished calmly: 4-3. In the second extra time, Perisic made it 5-3 and that seemed to be the decision.
Yet again Excelsior
However, this bizarre cup match became exciting after Olivier Boscalgi caused a penalty. Richie Omorowa scored the 5-4 in minute 116. That turned out to be the final result, meaning PSV is still in the cup tournament. The manner in which will go down in the history books.