PSV beat Liverpool in final Champions League phase game; sets up potential Feyenoord tie
PSV finished their UEFA Champions League first phase in the perfect way by beating the best ranked team, Liverpool. The Eindhovenaren beat a heavily rotated team 3-2. This means that there is a 50 percent chance that they face Feyenoord in the play off round.
Peter Bosz side went behind after Joey Veerman was caught dawdling on the ball and fouled Frederico Chiesa. The penalty was taken by former PSV winger Cody Gakpo. He scored the penalty against his former side but refused to celebrate out of respect.
The home team equalized nine minutes later. A long ball found Ricardo Pepi, who chested it down for Johan Bakayoko, the Belgian winger did brilliantly to delay his shot sending both Liverpool players to the ground before smashing the ball into the corner with his weaker foot.
Liverpool re-took the lead in the 40th minute. A shot from Chiesa was palmed out by PSV goalkeeper Walter Benitez to Harvey Elliot who only had to slot it home from close range.
Veerman made up for his earlier effort by creating the goal a few minutes later. Wataru Endo lost the ball in midfield with Veerman picking it up and carrying as far as possible before playing it to Ismael Saibari. The Moroccan midfielder did not hesitate, striking it high into the goal to make it 2-2.
This was followed by another goal for the home team in the last seconds before halftime. Mauro Junior came forward from left back and his cross was deflected into the goal by Liverpool defender Andy Robertson.
Liverpool had started the match with only a few experienced players and by the last half hour most of them had also gone off resulting in a lot of young players finishing the match.
One of these young players, Amara Nallo, only lasted four minutes. The defender came on in the 83rd minute and was sent off four minutes later. Bakayoko had sneaked ahead of him resulting in Nallo taking him down and getting sent off as the last man.
One of PSV’s younger players, Isaac Babadi, nearly got himself on the scoresheet with a header in injury time but it was saved by Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher. The Eindhovenaren were able to hang on to the win.
Liverpool finished top of the Champions League phase despite the loss. Bosz’s team finished 14th out of the 36 teams. They will now either face Feyenoord or Juventus in the play off round. The Eindhovenaren already faced both teams at some stage this season. They beat Feyenoord 3-0 in the Eredivisie in December, while they lost 3-1 to Juventus in the Champions League in September.
