Go Ahead Eagles beat PSV to reach the KNVB Cup final for the first time since 1965

Go Ahead Eagles reached the final of the KNVB Cup for the first time since 1965 on Wednesday by beating PSV. The club from Deventer surprised with a 1-2 win in Eindhoven. Go Ahead Eagles will face Heracles Almelo or AZ Alkmaar in the final on Monday, April 21. Those two teams will play the other semi-final on Thursday. The last and only time that Go Ahead Eagles reached the final was 60 years ago when they lost 1-0 to Feyenoord.

It is the latest in a long run of disappointing games for PSV this season. The club’s manager, Peter Bosz, hoped that the victory over Juventus in the UEFA Champions League had ended the poor run. The manager said after that game that the “hunger” for domestic matches had to come from the players.

Although you would think that a semi-final of the cup would be enough to motivate the players, PSV fell into a lot of their old mistakes. The home side seemed lackadaisical and nowhere near as energetic as they were against Juventus.

Go Ahead Eagles were missing several players through injury, but they seemed to have more conviction than the Eindhovenaren. Paul Simonis’ team did seem to take the match as a hugely important one.

They took the lead in the 25th minute. Dean James put the ball at the second post from a corner over PSV keeper Joel Drommel. Gerrit Nauber beat Ryan Flamingo in the air to head home and make it 0-1.

Their second goal came under two minutes later. A perfect counterattack finished with Oliver Antman giving the team’s striker Victor Edvardsen the chance to score. Oliver Boscagli’s defending looked suspect during the counterattack, as did Joey Veerman’s.

Boscagli and the phlegmatic Johan Bakayoko were taken off at halftime and replaced by Ismael Saibari and Noa Lang. Go Ahead Eagles were able to hold their lead with quite an ease at the start of the second half.

This lasted up to the 57th minute when referee Dennis Higler awarded PSV a penalty after Luuk de Jong headed the ball against Nauber’s hand. Ivan Perisic converted the penalty to make it 1-2.

Guus Til headed inches over shortly after this, and Go Ahead Eagles keeper Jari de Busser prevented an equalizer from Perisic in the 62nd minute with a good save.

Ismael Saibari had the most significant chance to level the match. The substitute saw his effort taken off the line by Nauber.