On arrival in Leeuwarden, PSV learned that Ajax had taken the three points at NEC earlier in the evening after a difficult match thanks to a late goal. As a result, the leader had increased the lead to seven points and PSV had to win to reduce the gap to four points and stay in the track of Ajax.
cup euphoria
Over the past week, expectations about a possible catch-up race by PSV after the impulse that the KNVB Cup win had given were raised high. Trainer Schmidt, however, did not count himself rich. “When you win something, it gives you a good feeling. But for me as a trainer I have to make sure that I don’t overestimate such a boost for the next match. It is actually a danger if you start thinking ‘do that for a while, because everyone has such a good feeling’. My job is to ensure that the focus is back on the next game.”
Compared to the starting eleven of the cup final, Schmidt had reserved places on the bench for his strong holders Ibrahim Sangaré and Cody Gakpo. Ritsu Doan and Bruma started the match in their place.
SC Cambuur, together with Willem II the least performing team after the winter break, was ready for a success again and started the game in top gear. PSV was overwhelmed by the energetic start of the home club and faced a deficit within two minutes. The ball got stuck in PSV’s sixteen and Patrick Joosten surprised Eindhoven goalkeeper Yvon Mvogo with a chopper.
Patrick Joosten gave Cambuur an early lead.
Pro Shots
With that, the euphoria of the cup win was quickly dispelled and PSV had to start a catch-up race to prevent the title fight in Leeuwarden being definitively dropped. Initially, PSV had trouble getting a grip on the game, because SC Cambuur put a lot of pressure on the build-up and the Eindhoven players did not get to play their own game. In the course of the first half, PSV managed to wrestle more and more from that pressure, so that Schmidt’s team came into its own game.
There were also opportunities. Eran Zahavi headed wide after a good cross from Mauro Junior and Doan saw an almost certain goal being foiled by Cambuur goalkeeper Pieter Bos, who saved with his fingertips.
The equalizer came at an important moment just before half-time. The ball fell in the box in front of Zahavi’s feet, who scored the important 1-1. The ninth Eredivisie goal of the Israeli striker, who is therefore joint Eredivisie top scorer of PSV together with Gakpo.
For the second half, Schmidt brought in the star of the final, the Ivorian Sangaré. Joey Veerman had to give way to him.
Unhappy Cambuur
After the break, SC Cambuur resumed the game with renewed energy, but the game would soon be turned over by two unfortunate moments for the home team. After an hour, Sekou Sylla received his second yellow card after an unfortunate foul on Doan, which meant that SC Cambuur had to continue with one man less. And soon after, PSV took the lead. A corner from Mauro Junior was headed into the Cambuur goal by little Mario Götze, the German’s fourth Eredivisie goal this season and the twelfth in total.
Gotze became match winner.
ANP/HH
With this, SC Cambuur saw the chances of a stunt slip through the fingers like sand in a time frame of five minutes. It would also not work out for the Frisians, who were unable to make a fist offensively and escaped a greater deficit when Erick Gutierrez headed the ball from a corner by Mauro Junior onto the crossbar. Moments later, Doan fired over in a promising position. With Gakpo for the unlucky playing Bruma and Maximiliano Romero for goalscorer Zahavi, PSV went looking for a wider margin, but it was Cambuur that squeezed out a final offensive. The Frisians were unable to score in it, so that the counter remains at a meager five points after the winter break.
PSV will continue the championship race next week with a home match against Willem II. SC Cambuur hopes to finally take points again in the Frisian derby against SC Heerenveen after six defeats in a row.