If the Eindhoven team succeeds in eliminating AS Monaco, the Belgian Union Saint-Gilloise or the Rangers FC of Giovanni van Bronckhorst will be the last hurdle towards the group stage. As the reigning national champion, Ajax is already assured of this.
Amendments
With Phillipp Mwene and Ismael Saibari as replacements for Ki-Jana Hoever and Johan Bakayoko, Van Nistelrooy saw how PSV had to allow opportunities in the opening phase for Youssouf Fofana (no powerful header) and Takumi Minamino (shot wide). After Joey Veerman first destroyed a great chance by shooting wide, the midfielder did put PSV in the lead shortly before half-time. De Volendammer was the successful final station after a nice attack via Guus Til and Luuk de Jong.
Luuk de Jong (l.) congratulates Joey Veerman after his 0-1.
ANP/HH
Shortly before that, referee Davide Massa had brought relief to the Eindhoven camp by not putting the ball on the dot after Ibrahim Sangaré had hit it against his arm. In the second half the game remained open and again Minamino (shot wide) and Kevin Volland (header wide) had good chances on behalf of the home team. PSV saw Til miss the ball after a good action by Philipp Max and Saibari did not fill the ball in an overcrowded penalty area.
Sign up for the Football Update and keep up to date with the latest football news.
PSV seemed to take the win in the Stade Louis II with them, but a dead game moment turned out to be fatal for the Eindhoven players. A free kick, in which way AS Monaco had already been dangerous twice in the first half, was worked in by central defender Axel Diasi. In the penultimate minute, Van Nistelrooy’s team even escaped defeat when Fofana hit the post.
Van Nistelrooy: ‘Disappointed and realistic’
Van Nistelrooy was left with mixed feelings about the game. “On the one hand I am disappointed that we played a draw, but on the other hand I am also realistic. The light went out slowly in the second half,” the Eindhoven team’s trainer said ESPN. “I thought we didn’t do enough with our possession. The attacks stalled every time due to mistakes in the passing, so we couldn’t continue football. Positionally we were in a good position”, continued Van Nistelrooy.
„We played a tough game against Ajax on Saturday, and Monaco did not play football then. You saw that. In the second half we got away well, it was survival at a given moment. All in all, I’m proud of this team, that all the players have gone so deep.”
De Jong: ‘Sloppy’
De Jong thought PSV was sloppy. “We rarely got it right. When we came out, the passing was often sloppy. That has to be better,” said the striker to ESPN. “It was a good fight and quite stuffy. In the second part of the second half they put more pressure and we had trouble with that. Of course it’s hard to play again three days after the duel with Ajax, but we don’t have to look for excuses. It was not good with the ball, then it becomes very heavy. I expect we will do better next week with the fans behind us.”