PSV kept the title fight alive on Sunday. In order to keep some pressure on leader Ajax, the low-flyer Willem II had to be dealt with in-house. Despite many injuries, the team of trainer Roger Schmidt had no problems with the visitors: 4-2. As a result, PSV close the gap with Ajax to four points again with three rounds to go. Number sixteen Willem II, in turn, fails to climb up from the relegation zone due to the defeat and will look with suspicion at number fifteen RKC Waalwijk, which will come into action later in the afternoon.
Schmidt had to improvise for his starting eleven. André Ramalho was not fit to start and Mario Götze dropped out sick, while the list of absentees already included Ryan Thomas, Yorbe Vertessen, Noni Madueke, Olivier Boscagli, Philipp Mwene and Armando Obispo. On the other hand, Cody Gakpo and Ibrahim Sangaré returned to Schmidt’s first eleven. Before the win against SC Cambuur (1-2), the two started on the reserve bench because of the artificial grass and PSV’s busy schedule.
The weight of the title race did not seem to paralyze the people of Eindhoven. After just over a minute of football, Philipp Max handed the ball on a silver platter to Ritsu Doan, who had run out of cover at the far post. The Japanese seemed to be offside, but was still able to cheer after a VAR check: 1-0. Gakpo thought moments later to double the margin, only the captain saw his shot burst on the post in Ramalho’s absence.
halfway state @PSV 3-1 against Willem II and scored early. Ritsu Doan’s goal stands despite intervention by the VAR.#PSVWIl #deunion pic.twitter.com/VUrgXCUgHw
— ESPN NL (@ESPNnl) May 1, 2022
On the half hour, the coveted attacker still got his goal. Mauro Júnior had come along on the right and was given all the time and space to launch a cross towards the box. Gakpo took a step back and aimed the leather through the post behind a staring Timo Wellenreuther. Willem II was nowhere to be seen around Yvon Mvogo’s goal during the entire game, but found the connecting goal from nowhere. Club top scorer Ché Nunnely came in for his man with a cross from Leeroy Owusu and signed for his sixth league goal. It was the second downer for PSV in five minutes: Carlos Vinícius had already retired five minutes earlier due to an apparently serious injury.
Still, Schmidt’s team did not get off the leg. Three minutes after the stoppage, Eran Zahavi struck with a shovel from close range and brought the margin back to two. However, PSV showed themselves inattentive and had to allow Elton Kabangu to slide in the rebound from Nunnely’s header. Instead of Willem II persevering, Wessel Dammers helped the opponent into the saddle. In an apparent misunderstanding with Wellenreuther, the defender worked the ball into his own goal: 4-2. In the last half hour there was little more exciting to be seen for the public in the Philips Stadium and there was no change in the final score.
| No. | Team | m | W | G | V | † | Pnt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ajax | 31 | 25 | 3 | 3 | 74 | 78 |
| 2 | PSV | 31 | 24 | 2 | 5 | 42 | 74 |
| 3 | Feyenoord | 30 | 20 | 4 | 6 | 40 | 64 |
| 4 | FC Twente | 31 | 18 | 8 | 5 | 15 | 62 |
| 5 | AZ | 31 | 18 | 5 | 8 | 22 | 59 |
| 6 | Vitesse | 31 | 14 | 5 | 12 | -9 | 47 |
| 7 | FC Utrecht | 31 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 45 |
| 8 | Fc Groningen | 30 | 9 | 9 | 12 | -7 | 36 |
| 9 | Go Ahead Eagles | 31 | 10 | 6 | 15 | -10 | 36 |
| 10 | sc Heerenveen | 31 | 9 | 8 | 14 | -11 | 35 |
| 11 | NEC | 31 | 9 | 8 | 14 | -13 | 35 |
| 12 | Heracles Almelo | 31 | 9 | 7 | 15 | -10 | 34 |
| 13 | SC Cambuur | 31 | 10 | 4 | 17 | -18 | 34 |
| 14 | Fortuna Sittard | 30 | 8 | 5 | 17 | -30 | 29 |
| 15 | RKC Waalwijk | 30 | 6 | 10 | 14 | -17 | 28 |
| 16 | PEC Zwolle | 31 | 7 | 5 | 19 | -23 | 26 |
| 17 | Sparta Rotterdam | 31 | 5 | 11 | 15 | -23 | 26 |
| 18 | William II | 31 | 7 | 5 | 19 | -30 | 26 |