PSV played to a 1-1 draw against Shakhtar Donetsk on Thursday evening. After the first group stage match, Ruben van Bommel and Peter Bosz discussed the game against the Ukrainian champions.
Peter Bosz
Normally you’d expect a late offensive push—why didn’t that happen today?
“Because there was nothing more left in the tank. And it’s not that simple; of course you want that, but it has to be possible. It was a game in which we defended the visitors’ high balls well. We didn’t give anything away, but when we had possession, we couldn’t take any more risks than we already were. I’m afraid we would have put ourselves in danger then.”
You substituted Pepi—why did you take your striker out?
“Because we hadn’t created many chances in eighty minutes. So you want to try something different.”
What did you think of Shakhtar’s goal?
“During the game, I thought it was a foul, but when I saw the replay, I saw something different. So we weren’t disadvantaged there.”
Was it a must-win game?
“Well, I think you have to beat Shakhtar at home, but this isn’t just any team. This is the Champions League. They’re also very good. All in all, I’m at peace with the result.”
How can you make sure you create more chances?
“Those guys worked incredibly hard. They ran a lot, but when you run that much, you’re also making mistakes. Then you lose the ball, have to chase after it, and so on. It’s precisely when you have the ballthat you should run less.”
What did you think of Sano?
“In the first half, he was still a bit nervous. That’s normal, of course. He had a few chances to open up the play but didn’t take them. Or he did so too hastily. But he did get into the game better as it went on."
What’s the difference between him and Joey Veerman?
"They’re very different types of players. Joey has his passing game; Kodai is more of an anticipatory player who also wins a lot of balls."
Shouldn’t you have brought in a battering ram?
“I could have done that, but that’s not our style of play. We don’t really have those types of players on the team, either.”
Conclusion on the match?
“All in all, a fair result. They were better in the first half; we were slightly better in the second half.”
Mauro JR has been called up to the Brazilian national team. How did he take the news?
"That was quite a moment. I shared the news in the locker room, and the guys really jumped on it. Everyone thought it was great. Being called up is amazing for a Dutch player, but for a Brazilian… Good fullbacks are rare, and he has so much more to offer. So it was a good choice."
Ruben van Bommel
How do you look back on the match?
“They were really good at football. We had a hard time with that, especially in the first half. In the end, we left the field feeling like we could have picked up three points. That’s frustrating, but the reality is that we still have seven matches left.”
What was the difference compared to, for example, the match against Ajax?
“We weren’t quite ourselves in terms of our play. Against Ajax, the pace was higher, so you’re more in the game. Now, play often came to a standstill. We didn’t really have any clear-cut chances.”
You were pretty threatening.
“I try to be threatening, but today I just didn’t quite get close enough to the goal. Being threatening is fun, but I’m not getting results right now.”
How do you look back on the match against Ajax and the foul you committed?
“I was able to put it behind me. It was my fault, and I’m bummed about that. I’m glad Aaron [Bouwman] is doing relatively well.”
A lot is said and written about players. How do you deal with that?
“It’s normal for some people to be given a platform to express their opinions, but whether those opinions are always helpful is another matter. I think people should sometimes think a little more carefully before making statements about players.”