PSV joined the last sixteen of the Conference League on Thursday by hanging and strangling. The team of Roger Schmidt had just enough with a difficult 1-1 (after winning 1-0 at home) during a visit to the cauldron of Maccabi Tel Aviv. Yorbe Vertessen made the apparently liberating 0-1 in Israel in the 85th minute, but after Maccabi’s quick equalizer, the Eindhoven team still had to squeeze eight minutes.
Schmidt had to miss captain Cody Gakpo and so chose Ritsu Doan as a replacement on the left, while Noni Madueke mainly played from the right. PSV also had Eran Zahvavi available in the striker, who played for Maccabi for years and was greeted enthusiastically by the home crowd. Joey Veerman had to make do with a reserve spot, because Ibrahim Sangaré and Érick Gutiérrez were preferred. Brandley Kuwas started at Maccabi as number ten, where the ex-attacker of Heracles Almelo came off the bench in Eindhoven last week.
PSV started the game hesitantly and came under pressure in the opening phase. After twelve minutes, Maccabi had a great opportunity, with Dan Biton heading just wide in free position. PSV then took the initiative firmly in their hands and bombarded the Israeli penalty area, but always just didn’t get a real chance. The danger had to come mainly from Madueke, who broke through completely under his own power after more than half an hour.
Madueke showed his dribbling skills and faced three opponents in succession in the sixteen, but then just couldn’t get the ball past goalkeeper Daniel Peretz, who made a somewhat fortunate save with the heel. PSV then became threatening again after a combination in the axis between Zahavi and Doan, after which the Japanese saw his attempt for goal on an Israeli block.
A treacherous 0-0 halftime score remained for PSV, which immediately received a hefty warning in the second half. Maccabi-back Sheran Yeini fired a low-range shot that hit the post in the crowd through Stipe Perica’s heel. The game was briefly stopped after an hour, when Madueke was pelted from the stands when taking a corner kick. After a mini-break, PSV remained the better match, although Schmidt’s team did not sparkle for a moment.
Nevertheless, the Eindhoven team forced the opening goal in the 85th minute. Filling in for Madueke, Yorbe Vertessen dribbled in from the right and was lucky that his hard shot through the shoulder flew into Enric Saborit: 0-1. PSV seemed to be in safe harbor, but saw Maccabi quickly equalize when Saborit headed in a free kick: 1-1. This resulted in another eight minutes under high tension for PSV, in which Joël Drommel made a good save on a long shot by Tal Ben Haim II.