PSV hopes for Champions League comes to an end
By: j | March 8th, 2009
PSV’s run of Champions League play has come to a likely end as facing a “must-win” situation, Blaise N’Kufo’s goal for Twente in the fourth minute of added-time brought the match to a 1-1 conclusion. The draw leaves the defending in champions in fifth place, nine points behind Twente with only eight matches to play. With AZ cruising to the Eredivisie championship, quite obviously the focus for PSV must now be clawing its way back up the table and overtake Heerenveen, for the final Europa League spot.
After the match was delayed for twenty-fours to resurface the Arke Stadion pitch, de Tukkers created the first opportunity not quite ten minutes in as Cheik Tiote’s effort went over the bar. However within minutes Balázs Dzsudzsák was up to creative best and forced the best out of Sander Boschker to turn the ball aside. Late heroics on the opposite end of the pitch by Andreas Isaksson prevented the home side from taking the lead as he denied Blaise N’Kufo’s opportunistic close-range effort.
At the re-start PSV seemed to understand the gravity of the situation and came out with volition. However five minutes Nordin Amrabat received a yellow card that banishes him from next weeks match against surging Feyenoord. Three minutes past the hour PSV took the lead, albeit via a questionable route as following a foul call, Ibrahim Afelley quickly dispatched the ball to a free and clear Balázs Dzsudzsák who sent the ball into the net. With four minutes Dwight Lodeweges called upon ex Chivas man Francisco Rodríguez to shore up defending and following a stop on Austrian Marko Arnautović’s effort by Andreas Isaksson in the closing moments, it appeared the defending champions would return from Enschede with three points. However Twente’s captain Blaise Kufo had something else in mind as in the fourth minute of added time he latched onto a rebound from Marko Arnautović’s attempt and slotted the ball into the netting.
Category: PSV Team News
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