PSV drew 3-3 against sc Heerenveen. This leaves the battle for second place wide open again. A win would have secured the Champions League preliminaries. Now the team still has to work hard in the final rounds to secure second place.
Winning at home against SC Heerenveen would be enough to secure spot two and thus the preliminary rounds of the Champions League. But it certainly wasn’t as easy as that sounds this Sunday afternoon.
PSV started strong and took an early lead through a header by midfielder Ibrahim Sangaré. But after that 1-0 lead, the home side took it easy. It went in search of a second goal at a snail’s pace.
In PSV’s spotlights
SC Heerenveen, on the other hand, did score. Twice, thanks to Milan van Ewijk. Ironically, the right back is in the spotlights of the Eindhoven club for a possible transfer but he was also the man behind the two Frisian goals.
First, Van Ewijk himself managed to take advantage of a huge mistake by PSV defender André Ramalho who could not control the ball. The Heerenveen back slid the ball calmly past Walter Benitez. In injury time of the first half, he was the instigator of the Frisians’ 2-1. Goal scorer was Antoine Colassin.
Too little, too late
But even after half-time, PSV’s play was very mediocre. Indeed, after 57 minutes Heerenveen forward Osame Sahraoui had the 3-1 on his shoe. Sangaré saved the Eindhoven side with a toe. But a minute later, there was nothing left to save for the home side. Again, it was forward Colassin who scored for the visitors. He slid in the 3-1 with a dry blast.
The Eindhoven team seemed dependent on the outcome of the Ajax-Utrect match, which stood at 1-1. With that score, PSV was still second. But the 2-1 in Amsterdam meant PSV really had to secure a win for themselves. A good ten minutes before time, striker Luuk de Jong headed in the 3-2. PSV still needed to score twice to secure a win. With five minutes left on the clock the ball went to the penalty spot. Forward Xavi Simons seized the opportunity and brought PSV back into the game.
Apotheosis awaits
PSV needed one more goal. The team was alive and kicking again. Yet it had risen from the dead too late and put spot two at stake. An unprecedented apotheosis awaits next week in the Eredivisie’s final round of games. PSV will then need a victory against AZ. If Ajax wants to overtake PSV and take second place, it needs to defeat FC Twente.
Source: Omroep Brabant
Translator: Martijn
