Wednesday, August 10, 2022 at 2:10 PM• Jonathan van Haaster • Last update: 14:36

PSV will receive help from the KNVB in the run-up to the crucial diptych with Rangers in the play-offs of the Champions League. In between games against the Scots, the game with FC Volendam was to be played, but that game will be moved from Saturday, August 20 to Wednesday, August 31.

With the rescheduling of the meeting with the PhD candidate, the team of trainer Ruud van Nistelrooij will therefore get some rest in between the crucial diptych. The duel with Volendam is now played between the away matches against Excelsior and FC Twente. That is good news for the Brabant club, which previously received zero claims from Zeist. Moving the battle for the Johan Cruijff Scale, in order to get more preparation time for the first leg in and against Monaco, turned out to be impossible. The kick-off of the duel with Volendam will take place on August 31 at 6.45 pm.

During the first game with AS Monaco, it was noticed that PSV had a hard time physically in the final phase. The Monegasques were significantly fitter and had great opportunities, so that the Eindhoven team got away well with a 1-1 draw. “Do you think it’s crazy, or not? We played two and a half days ago, didn’t you”, Joey Veerman referred to the Johan Cruijff Scale after that game. “I think we were home at one o’clock in the morning, the next day it will be recovered and you will be boarding the plane again on Monday morning. I think it was all very poorly planned.”

PSV recorded a hard-fought 3-2 victory over AS Monaco on Tuesday. The Eindhoven team seemed to be eliminated, but a good header from Érick Gutiérrez ensured that PSV went into extra time. In it, Luuk de Jong eventually became the match winner. The striker headed the ball into the goal after a sharp cross by Jordan Teze through the ground. PSV therefore meets the Rangers of trainer Giovanni van Bronckhorst, who cleverly corrected the previous 2-0 defeat against Union Saint-Gilloise (3-0).