Wesley Sneijder does not understand that PSV lost to Rangers in the preliminary round of the Champions League. ‘s analyst RTL 7 believes that PSV left it behind in the diptych that took place in mid-August, especially in the home game.
Already in the half of the match (3-0 score), Sneijder went wild about the team of Giovanni van Bronckhorst. “I think Rangers has been in the 16 twice. There is one team that wants to play football tonight and that is Ajax,” said Sneijder, who wondered how PSV lost to the Scottish top club. “They are now scratching their heads too. That is also the annoyance I had in Eindhoven. How could you have lost to this team?” Colleague Theo Janssen thinks he knows the answer to that question: “By not playing football.”
Beforehand, Van Bronckhorst still hoped for recovery, as Rangers lost 4-0 last weekend in the Old Firm against arch-rival Celtic. “The most important thing now is this first game in the group. We are back in the Champions League after 12 years and that is a great moment for the players, fans and everyone at the club. For many guys this is the first game at this level. We are happy to be there, but also have to perform in this tough group. That starts tonight with Ajax.”
Van Bronckhorst also praised Calvin Bassey, whom he saw leave for Amsterdam this summer. “Calvin is a pretty complete footballer, otherwise you won’t be sold for that much money. We know what he can do well and what his points of interest are, but all in all he is just a very good footballer.” Bassey was barely tested by the Rangers attackers on Wednesday evening. RTL 7 presenter Humberto Tan shared a remarkable fact at halftime: Rangers had only touched the ball once in Ajax’s sixteen-meter area.