PSV failed to reach the next round of the Conference League. After Eran Zahavi’s opening goal, PSV seemed to be on their way to the semi-finals, but three minutes before the end it still went wrong.
PSV – Leicester was a breathtaking match. Rarely has a match been so exciting as Thursday evening in the Philips Stadium. You noticed that in everything. Rarely has a defeat felt so sour.
The atmosphere in the stadium hadn’t been so good this season. Everyone felt that there was a lot at stake after the 0-0 draw in England last week.
Error punished
After enough opportunities were missed by both sides, it was hit after 27 minutes. Youri Tielemans made a mistake and lost the ball to Götze, who passed the ball perfectly to Zahavi. The striker shot in the opening goal from a difficult angle. The Philips Stadium exploded.
It soon seemed to be an evening where everything went well. Because a few minutes later the ball almost fell over Yvon Mvogo, but Jordan Teze, the replacement for the injured Olivier Boscagli, miraculously kept the ball out of the goal.
Goal
PSV was on their way to the semi-finals for a long time. The team also had an excellent opportunity at 2-0. Ibrahim Sangaré shot hard and high from close range. Before that, Leicester were close to equalizing via Patson Daka. The equalizer came after all. Out of nowhere, it was James Maddison who scored from the edge of the box.
Just when you thought PSV wasn’t going to give it away anymore, things collapsed. That was also reflected on the field. The home team was no longer involved and in the end it went wrong.
Pickles
Three minutes before the end there was a neat attack from the visitors. The first shot could be turned by Mvogo but the rebound was for Ricardo Pereira. He shot in the 1-2. The Philips Stadium fell silent for a while, where it was just 87 minutes behind the team.
The grapes are sour for PSV, which had a view on the first European semi-final since 2005. That dream shattered in the final phase. They cannot mourn for long in Eindhoven. The cup final against Ajax awaits on Sunday. That match starts at 6 p.m. in the Kuip in Rotterdam.