PSV’s line-up for the Conference League match against Maccabi Tel Aviv has been announced. In the front left, Ritsu Doan takes the position of the injured Cody Gakpo. Furthermore, Eran Zahavi has, as expected, a starting spot against his old club, but Joey Veerman starts on the bench. The reunion between the two clubs will start on Thursday evening at 6.45 pm.
At Wednesday’s press conference, Schmidt already revealed that Zahavi would occupy a striker position. On Sunday, Schmidt opted for a vanguard without Zahavi in the Eredivisie match against sc Heerenveen (3-1), while Mario Götze was pushed further forward. In the first game with Maccabi (1-0 win), Schmidt also chose Zahavi as the deepest attacker. It was also already known that the front line at the Eindhoven residents would be changed to the left wing position. PSV communicated via the official channels that Cody Gakpo has stayed behind in Eindhoven because of the ankle complaints he had after the game against Heerenveen.
Compared to Sunday’s game, Doan and Zahavi are in the starting lineup; Schmidt favors Götze over Veerman as an attacking midfielder. Veerman can, however, look forward to a substitute, Schmidt tells PSV TV† “He is in the plans for tonight. He has now played two games in a row in which he had to deliver a lot. We need him later in this game. I think it is wise to put him on the bench today and let him come in. .”
Marco van Ginkel and Maxime Delanghe did not board the plane on Wednesday morning. PSV wrote that the two took a positive PCR test after a previous corona infection. Due to the absences of Dennis Vos, Jenson Seelt, Johan Bakayoko, Ismael Saibari and Kjell Peersman, Schmidt has added five players from Jong PSV to the selection. Érick Gutiérrez is also ‘normal’ in the party: the Mexican midfielder had to go off the field with a stretcher on Sunday, but appears not to have suffered any serious injury. Right back Phillipp Mwene did not make the selection and is in the stands.
PSV line-up: drum; Mauro Junior, Teze, Boscagli, Max; Sangare, Gutierrez; Madueke, Gotze, Doan; Zahavic
How big is Eran Zahavi in Israel? † We went to the streets of Tel Aviv and this is the answer ??#MACPSV #UECL pic.twitter.com/I5e6r02khV
— PSV (@PSV) February 24, 2022