PSV laboriously past Volendam, sights now set on crackers against Ajax

PSV can set their sights on the next two crackers against Ajax with their ninth win in 11 official duels. The Eindhoveners won 3-2 at FC Volendam in the Eredivisie after an efficient first half and an extremely difficult second half.

Ruud van Nistelrooij’s team thus retains the shared second place with Ajax in the eredivisie, but the game will make the coach less cheerful. On the other hand, for Van Nistelrooij only one thing counts: winning.

PSV will play Ajax on April 23 (premier league) and April 30 (KNVB cup final).

With Jarrad Brantwaithe fit again in the starting lineup and the passed-over Ibrahim Sangaré on the bench (preference went to Érick Gutiérrez), PSV had the first chances of the match through Luuk de Jong and Xavi Simons.

Volendam then got into the game better and smelled of a lead when Henk Veerman shot a volley rakishly wide in the sixteen. But increased self-confidence did the home team in.

PSV struck when the attacking Volendam lost the ball and Joey Veerman crossed the field. The Volendam man served Guus Til with a fine pass, who was not selfish and immediately played to the free-standing Luuk de Jong: 0-1.

Veerman was also involved in the 0-2. The Volendam native delivered the ball to Bakayoko with a long kick, after which Til shot in with a beautiful diagonal ball.

Those who thought the second half would go out like a night candle were deceived. Three goals fell within six minutes, two of them for Volendam.

First it was Xavier Mbuyamba who headed in the tying goal from a corner at the far post after 55 minutes. Til then did something back with the 1-3 for PSV by nodding the ball in on a pass from Gutiérrez.

But again the hard-working Volendam fought back when Daryl van Mieghem took advantage of PSV’s poor organization.

Watch reactions from Guus Til, Joey Veerman, Ruud van Nistelrooij and Wim Jonk below:

Van Nistelrooij intervened by strengthening the defensive lines by bringing in Sangaré for Til. But Volendam kept coming and was close to the equalizer through Calvin Twigt and Gaetano Oristanio.

Veerman had the liberating fourth goal on his shoe for PSV, but shot over only for goalkeeper Filip Stankovic.