The second league match was scheduled. Opponent: NAC Breda. Where PSV started the league with the full 3 points (1-4 victory at AFC), NAC got stuck at 0-0 at home against Volendam. Curious to see if the team will also finish the 2nd game without losing a point.

PSV started furiously and could (and should) have taken the lead after only 25 seconds when striker Yorbe Vertessen hit the crossbar instead of the net. After PSV missed another chance, Nac really came out of nowhere to take the lead in the 5th minute. A ball was shot forward from behind, where a communication error between the goalkeeper and the last man was punished to score the opening goal: 0-1. The Breda team had barely crossed the halfway line!

PSV had to catch up again, just like all previous matches. And while before the goal the game was played on the Breda half, after the goal it was a true autumn storm that descended on the yellow defense.

One wave of attacks after another pounded at the yellow wall. The Nac goalie kept his goal clean with a lot of effort and the fact that many shots came straight at him. Dani Mathieu was unlucky that his effort was too soft to cross the goal line. And Beslan Sagov saw his header cleared by the goalkeeper after a fine cross from left back Jochem van Dijk.

Jochem had the afternoon of his life, as he was given every opportunity to steamroll down the left flank. Nac just forgot to roll out the red carpet for him...

Thanks to good field play, the equalizer could not be long away. In the 10th minute it was there. It did require a (justified) penalty when Yorbe was hooked in the sixteen meters. Mohamed Ihattaren positioned himself behind the ball and scored the 1-1.

After Yorbe was sent away beautifully by Jochem in the 17th minute, but was unable to make his passes just in front of goal, a minute later he did score. Shurandy Sambo opened beautifully with a cross ball to the left back Jochem. His take on the ball was perfect and he produced a ditto cross which was then worked in by Yorbe. Finally the deserved lead for PSV.

Even after the lead the game remained in Breda's half. PSV lacked real creativity to extend their lead. And got the bill for that when Nac (again out of nowhere) suddenly came alongside in the 21st minute.

PSV did not give up and continued to look for a renewed lead through football. Two headers by Dani and Beslan failed to find the target, however, leaving both teams with a 2-2 tie heading into tea. Where a 5-1 lead would certainly not have been flattered.

The second half started as the first ended: the game took place in the opponent's half. After Beslan saw a shot deflected and captain Damian Timan saw his long-range shot turned away by the goalkeeper, it finally hit the mark in the 40th minute. Mathijs Bel poked right back Lars Koolen who then unleashed a nice cross that Yorbe appreciated and then headed hard in: 3-2.

Despite the game being a little less fluent than in the first half, it still strung many opportunities together. Mo hit the crossbar with a volley, Shurandy almost headed the ball in after a corner, Yorbe saw a shot sail just wide, substitute Dennis Vos saw his shot go straight at the goalkeeper, Mo saw a hard shot fabulously parried by the goalkeeper and a little later after a beautiful attack via Mees Kreekels his shot went right past the crossbar.

It was not until the 64th minute that the home team decided the game. A free kick from about 20 meters was well converted into a goal by Damian: 4-2 and match played. You would say...

But again out of nowhere Nac scored the tying goal in the 68th minute after negligence in the Eindhoven defense.
Another quality: scoring three goals without creating any real chances.

Fortunately for PSV it remained 4-3, because only one team was entitled to the points and that was PSV. However, it almost cut itself in the fingers by not exploiting the chances up front and defending nonchalantly at times at the back. The three points were thoroughly deserved. The result suggested an exciting game. The reality today was that it was one-way traffic in which the difference in quality was not reflected in the final score.

Compliments to the team for the at times superb combination football they played today! It was really enjoyable at times.


Victor Camps; Lars Koolen (58' Mees Kreekels), Shurandy Sambo, Elgero King, Jochem van Dijk (58' Stijn van der Put); Mathijs Bel, Dani Mathieu (46' Dennis Vos), Damian Timan (c); Mo Ihattaren, Yorbe Vertessen, Beslan Sagov (46' Thijs Martens).

Yellow cards: Dennis Vos (holding opponent), Thijs Martens (game misconduct).