PSV captain Denzel Dumfries limped off the pitch after the 3-1 win over Vitesse in the Philips Stadion on Sunday afternoon. He was smiling brightly after having bagged a valuable three points but he felt very tired. “Our bodies need to rest at times”.
Substitutes
Speaking to the press after the game, Dumfries elaborated on resting players and squad rotation. Head coach Roger Schmidt rested several first-team regulars and saw the second-half substitutes seal victory for PSV. “Bringing on Ryan Thomas, Donyell Malen and Mario Mario Götze as substitutes worked out pretty well”, said Dumfries, who did not join the critics who disagreed with Schmidt’s starting XI.
Rotation policy
“He is an intelligent manager who rests his players when he thinks they need it. I can appreciate his rotation policy. Our poor first half-display had nothing to do with his tactical choices. We will always create chances but we concede our goals too easily. I will not single out particular players for criticism, but we don’t defend well enough as a team. One long ball and their striker is one-on-one with our goalkeeper. We defended naively and were lucky not to concede at least a second goal.”
Turn things around
Donyell Malen came off the bench to help PSV secure all three points, scoring an equaliser and delivering one assist. “The first half was a sloppy affair but I felt confident we would turn things around”, said PSV’s goal scorer, who took his tally for the season to fourteen.
Viergever returns from injury
Nick Viergever enjoyed his afternoon in the Philips Stadion and was happy to return to the starting line-up. He made a comeback after a long spell on the sidelines, partnering Pablo Rosario and Timo Baumgartl in the heart of defence. “This was the first step in my return to full fitness. I hope to be ready for Thursday’s UEFA Europa League clash with Olympiacos FC. “The more minutes I play, the sooner I will find match rhythm.”