Roger Schmidt is not yet busy with the match against Ajax, which is scheduled for next Sunday in the Johan Cruijff ArenA. In the run-up to the Europa League match against AS Monaco, the PSV coach received a question about the team from Amsterdam and their 4-0 Champions League match with Borussia Dortmund. Schmidt thought Ajax was ‘good’ and saw that Borussia Dortmund remained ‘far from its top level’, but calls the next opponent in the Eredivisie ‘not an issue’ for now.
With AS Monaco, PSV will meet, in the words of Schmidt, a ‘team with many individual qualities’. “Just like us, they were almost in the Champions League and also have opportunities on the ball,” it says Eindhovens Dagblad up from the mouth of Schmidt. “For us, this match in this competition seems even more crucial than Sunday’s against Ajax. Why? Because the group stage of the Europa League consists of six matches and 34 matches are played in the Eredivisie. On Sunday we will play against the best team in this competition.”
“Ajax played well and Dortmund stayed far away from their top level. In the end, our game has nothing to do with that at all. Ajax is not an issue for us for now. We focus on AS Monaco and to win we have to be one hundred percent concentrated,” continues the PSV trainer. Both PSV and AS Monaco left four points in the first two group matches in the Europa League against Real Sociedad and Sturm Graz. Schmidt cannot appeal to the suspended Ibrahim Sangaré on Thursday evening (from 9 p.m.) in the Philips Stadium.
“We also managed to play a good game against Real Sociedad without Ibrahim, but he is a key player for us,” emphasizes Schmidt. He calls moving Olivier Boscagli to midfield and fitting Armando Obispo into the defense an option, but at the same time does not rule out the possibility that Davy Pröpper will play next to Marco van Ginkel. “Davy is physically fine and has been training again in recent weeks.”
“Saturday to Thursday is not much of a problem, because there is enough time to rest and train. Thursday to Sunday is usually more problematic, although we are in good shape now,” says Schmidt about the fitness in his roster. opposite ESPN. “I’m always told that we often score in the last ten minutes. That’s good: if you can score goals at the end, then you’re physically fine. I think we have to realize that we need the whole team this season. given our busy schedule.”