PSV make poor start to Champions League with 3-1 home loss to Union Saint-Gilloise
PSV made a poor start to their UEFA Champions League campaign on Tuesday. The Eindhovenaren lost 3-1 against Belgian team Royale Union Saint-Gilloise in the Philips stadium. It was poor defensive performance from Peter Bosz's side, who have now conceded six goals in their last two games.
It is the same start that PSV made to their Champions League campaign last season, when Bosz’s side lost 3-1 to Juventus. This may give some of the club’s supporters hope as the team was eventually able to get through to the last 16 of the Champions League on that occasion.
PSV manager Peter Bosz had to improvise with his defense due to injuries to Killian Sildillia and Mauro Junior. Yarek Gasiorowski, who usually plays center back, was forced to play left back. Armando Obispo took the center back spot.
The Eindhovenaren made a good start to the game, with Ruben van Bommel creating a chance after dribbling past his man. The young winger’s cross was met by Ismael Saibari, but it was slightly too far ahead of the Moroccan midfielder, resulting in the chance going wide.
Union was awarded a penalty a few minutes later. PSV striker Ricardo Pepi showed his lack of defensive awareness when he failed to spot the Belgian team’s captain, Christian Burgess, resulting in the U.S. striker making contact with Burgess. The penalty was taken and scored by Promise David to make it 1-0 to the visitors.
Van Bommel showed the danger he can provide once more, a few minutes later. The winger received the ball wide and cut inside before unleashing a rocket of a shot, which came back off the crossbar.
Pepi was also partly at fault for Union’s second goal. The striker lost possession in midfield, which then resulted in Anouar Ait El-Hadj picking it up and dribbling through the PSV half, beating Obispo, and finishing to make it 2-0 at halftime.
It is the third consecutive Champions League game in which PSV has conceded at least two goals before halftime. This is just the second time in the club’s history that this has occurred.
Bosz’s side had their biggest chance to score in the game in the 55th minute. Guus Til received the ball from Sergino Dest, and his low drive to the second post was met by Saibari, but as was the case in the first half, the ball was slightly too far ahead of him, and his sliding effort went wide.
Union made it 3-0 in the 81st minute. A corner by Mathias Rasmussen was headed on by Kevin Rodriguez to Kevin Mac Allister, who knocked it in from point-blank range.
PSV got a goal back in the 90th minute. A cross was fumbled by Kamiel van de Perre, and Van Bommel responded quickest, guiding the ball home to put the final score at 1-3.
