A real 4-3-3. No, this time I am not talking about the tactical battle plan of PSV o15 or any other team. The 4-3-3 stands for the fact that PSV o15 suffered a defeat in 4 consecutive matches (league and cup), that after this match we still have 3 to play and that it's high time we take 3 points again.
Leading object should then be Fc Utrecht. The team that won 3-1 in Eindhoven.
PSV started energetically. In the 4th minute they could already open the score. Mees Kreekels stepped up on the right and sent a good cross to Jayden Braaf who saw his volley turned away by the Utrecht goalkeeper. His rebound did not hit the target either.
After Utrecht came dangerously close in the 7th minute to goalkeeper Jurre Schaafsma, who got out of his goal well and dived for the ball, PSV was close again a minute later. Again the rising Mees was at the root of the danger. He set up Beslan Sagov who then delivered the ball to Jayden. This time he did not hit the ball fully and shot wide.
PSV strung together one chance/opportunity after another. But failed to score the opening goal. Mo Ihattaren showed his footballing ability in the 13th minute when he sent a couple of Utrechters into the woods on the halfway line. He then also had an excellent opening for the deep running Beslan, but he hit the goalkeeper.
Utrecht could only get dangerous via long balls. Jurre had to intervene in the 19th minute, but there was no further danger from the home team. PSV did: Beslan was run over once in the penalty area but was not awarded a penalty. Damian was put clear in front of the goalie by Jayden, Jayden himself had a free shot opportunity after a good cross from Beslan. But the Eindhoveners did not score.
In the 28th minute Jayden had an unparalleled dribble. He slalomed past half the Utrecht team and sent Damian into the depths. However, in the 1 on 1 with the goalkeeper, PSV again failed to finish. PSV thus failed to take a clear lead into the locker room and did not reward themselves sufficiently.
In the second half, the Eindhoven team continued what it did in the first 35 minutes: creating chances and forgetting to finish them off. Already in the 39th minute, Beslan had THE chance for the 0-1 after fine preparatory work by Mo and Mees. This time the ball landed on the knee of a Utrechter who prevented a goal. A minute later Thijs Martens enabled Jayden to score but now the ball hit the side netting.
And so it still remained, completely contrary to the match pattern 0-0. Dani Mathieu had the opening goal on his foot and then head in the 50th minute after he first volleyed a Beslan cross wide via a Utrecht player and then headed Damian's corner just wide.
In the 56th minute, Utrecht scored 1-0 out of nowhere after weak defense by the PSV defense. What a sledgehammer blow for a team that had been winless in 4 games, and was the better team with several chances today.
Yet it recovered handsomely. A minute later the score was level again when Mo was put in position via Jayden and Damian and this time he did find the net.
Ten minutes before time, PSV finally rewarded themselves by putting the 1-2 on the scoreboard. A cross from Beslan landed right on Damian's head and he headed in. The goalie saved the ball at first, but was unable to save the rebound.
PSV got more space after the lead and could have put the game away for good. It was unlucky that a header by Mees was miraculously worked out of the goal mouth after a good corner by Mo.
Finally, 3 minutes before time it became 1-3. A corner by Damian was well headed in at the 2nd post by Dani Mathieu. Dani scored his first league goal of the season!
PSV finally won again! The way the victory came about deserves a compliment. After having missed many chances, coming from nowhere and still managing to turn this into a 1-3 victory is clever. Especially when you step off the field as a loser in the last games.
Jurre Schaafsma; Mees Kreekels, Mathijs Bel, Elgero King (59' Stijn van der Put), Jochem van Dijk; Damian Timan (c), Dennis Vos, Mo Ihattaren; Beslan Sagov, Jayden Braaf, Thijs Martens (47' Dani Mathieu).
Yellow: Mo Ihattaren (game misconduct)