PSV and Real Sociedad miss out on enormous opportunities in a spectacular final

Thursday, September 16, 2021 at 10:52 PM• Dominic Mostert • Last update: 23:02

PSV failed to start the group stage of the Europa League with a win. The Eindhoven team played a 2-2 draw against Real Sociedad in front of their own audience. Mario Götze and Cody Gakpo scored for PSV, while Adnan Januzaj and Alexander Isak scored for the visitors from Spain. Because AS Monaco simultaneously won 1-0 against Sturm Graz, that team takes the lead in Group B.

PSV became dangerous for the first time in the eighth minute. Noni Madueke served Eran Zahavi, who attempted a goal from eighteen yards; keeper Álex Remiro tapped the ball from the bottom corner. Real Sociedad, which had to do without David Silva due to an injury in the warm-up, then came dangerously in front of Joël Drommel after a failed wide pass by Armando Obispo. To the defender’s relief, his experienced colleague André Ramalho kept a close eye on the ball and made a tackle at the right time when Isak touched the ball in the penalty area.

In the following phase, Götze and Noni Madueke fired on Real Sociedad’s goal without success, after which PSV got away well: a cannonball from Januzaj with the left leg was out of reach of Drommel, but it hit the crossbar. An opening goal was in the air and PSV was the happiest team. Götze helped the home team take the lead: after a cross from Madueke, Remiro did not clear the ball well, allowing the German to take advantage. However, it only took a minute for Real Sociedad to equalize. Januzaj hit from close range after a low cross by Joseba Zaldúa from the right wing.

Not much later, a pass from Zaldúa led to another goal for the visitors. Isak was the most attentive and put Real Sociedad in the lead. Ten minutes after the break, PSV got the home crowd in ecstasy again. Götze turned his guard, charged towards the penalty area and enabled Cody Gakpo to make it 2-2. A few substitutions and riots then took the pace out of the game. PSV seemed most intent on stepping off the field with a win. Three minutes before the end, however, a huge opportunity followed for Jordan Teze, who emerged free at the far post after a pass from Gakpo and shot the ball wide. In the seven-minute stoppage time, Teze fired the ball into the post from a great distance. Mikel Oyarzabal was able to charge against Drommel in a counterattack after a sloppy header by Olivier Boscagli and the goalkeeper emerged as the winner from the one-on-one situation.