PSV has become more stable at the back, but nevertheless the duel with Napoli is not going to be easy. That is what Sergiño Dest and head coach Peter Bosz told the press conference ahead of the meeting. The winger argues that PSV must make war to get the Italians under their thumb.
Sergiño Dest
Are you free in your head again after your serious injury?
"Yes by now I am. You need matches to get to know your body again. I've had time for that now and it's under control."
You played at AC Milan in the Serie A. How does that league differ from the Dutch one?
"A lot of passion and a lot of one-on-one situations. That's exactly where my strength lies, so that can be advantageous tomorrow."
Do you feel you have become more stable at the back?
"I think so. Against Go Ahead, Leverkusen and PEC we hardly gave away any chances. The knob is up and it's teamwork. We help each other."
If Noa Lang plays, how will you take him out of the game?
"A lot of food, because then he has to run after me. Tomorrow we won't be friends for a while and he will have to suit up. That will be fun."
How did you experience Noa as a teammate?
"He is a pure boy, with his heart on his sleeve. Not everyone likes that, but I can appreciate that."
Who will take over Luuk de Jong s role?
"We do that together. We talk a lot, but finding someone like Luuk is not easy. I myself am not someone who is constantly in the foreground."
Does European football require something extra?
"You go into a Champions League match with a different focus. You have to show character. Such matches are just different to play. For these matches you want to become a professional footballer. It's a chance to compete with the best in the world."
If you guys still want something the pressure is on.
"It has to happen now, we play at home, that's where we are strong. Tomorrow we will go to war."
You have played against Napoli before, what was that like?
"Last time I faced Napoli, they became champions, then they were a strong team. Now they became champions again and are second. They have lost some good players, but there is no doubt they are still a very strong team and a tough match."
How are you going to beat them?
"We have to be sharp and put pressure on. If we do that we can take them out of their game. Serie A is a great league, with strong teams. Napoli is one of them. They will be hard to beat. They have good players and a great coach. It will be a great pot."
PETER BOSZ
Peter, Napoli is a top club, but is it also a top team?
"Yes."
It is said that they are still searching.
"I don't know about that. They are second in one of the best leagues in the world."
How is the Eredivisie different from the UEFA Champions League?
"I think you have to have the same mentality for every match. Against Go Ahead we played with a good mindset and that's how I've always experienced it at PSV. The guys here want to win every match."
Do you think you have become more stable at the back and why is that?
"That's because we lose less ball. Then you don't have to defend as much."
Jerdy Schouten now plays at the back. Will it stay that way if you expect to have to defend more?
"That depends on how you want to solve problems. If you lose less ball, you therefore also have to defend less."
What about the employability of Pepi, Boadu and Sildillia?
"I can draft Ricardo and Myron, but for how long, that's another story. And Kiliann not yet."
Tomorrow you will play against De Bruyne, what do you think of him?
"He is one of the best footballers ever. He doesn't stand out as much as a Messi or a Ronaldo, but he is of enormous value in his own way. He is no longer that attacking midfielder of the past, but his qualities remain enormous. But well Napoli has a lot of top players and in turn so do we."
Guus Til in the striker, is that possible in the UEFA Champions League?
"You saw it against Leverkusen, so it is possible. It's not a striker, he fills that in a different way."