After European disappointment, PSV also suffers loss in Utrecht (2-2): ‘Inexplicable’

As a result, number four PSV’s deficit on leaders Feyenoord has risen to six points. “It all seems like a lot, but it’s only two games,” Fred Rutten put the next hefty setback for his club into perspective.

After eleven years, assistant Rutten once again sat on the bench at PSV as head coach Ruud van Nistelrooij was ill. And the latter also applied to midfielder Ibrahim Sangaré.

Watch the reactions of Fred Rutten, Luuk de Jong, Michael Silberbauer and Othmane Boussaid below:

In a very messy game, both teams struggled to create chances. The game clearly needed a goal to loosen up and Othmane Boussaid scored in a way that made the tame opening phase forgotten in an instant.

After a corner that he himself saved, the Belgian luckily got the ball at his feet, then struck devastatingly from outside the penalty area.

The answer from the slightly stronger PSV did not take long to come. Joey Veerman produced a weak roll in a promising position, but Johan Bakayoko shot convincingly at goal (1-1) after an attack via Xavi Simons and Luuk de Jong. Mauro Júnior was also dangerous.

PSV clearly intended to quickly take the match to itself and pressed again after halftime. A goal by De Jong was disallowed for offside, but a second goal by the captain after a shot by Bakayoko was counted after watching the footage.

At Utrecht it was waiting for a whim from shared Eredivisie top scorer Anastasios Douvikas, and it came quickly. The Greek played the ball back with his chest to Sander van de Streek, who fired via Jarrad Branthwaite’s leg.

There was no real final offensive from Eindhoven, which made Utrecht feel oppressive. Sean Klaiber cleared a Phillipp Mwene chance and goalkeeper Vasilios Barkas was alert to a header by Guus Til. After Til also hit the outside of the post, Ismael Saibari came closest to scoring from a scrimmage.

“We need to get much smarter,” De Jong bemoaned. “It’s sometimes inexplicable exactly what it is. We can do better than this, I’m sure.”

After the return against Sevilla on Thursday, PSV’s match against FC Twente next Sunday, in which the Eindhoven natives must primarily defend their fourth spot.

With a solid seventh place, Utrecht can slowly start preparing for the playoffs. From that point of view, the first playing minutes for Bart Ramselaar after more than ten months of injury in addition to the point won are a big boost for the home club.