PSV dropped points in their title fight as the Eredivisie resumed on Saturday. The Eindhoven side were stranded at home after a goalless draw against Sparta Rotterdam.
PSV forced few chances against well-defended Sparta. In the final tournament, coach Ruud van Nistelrooij’s side appeared to be awarded a penalty, but against the advice of the VAR, referee Sander van der Eijk did not point to the penalty spot after Jordan Teze fell to the ground.
Due to the division of points with Sparta, PSV risks being damaged in the title fight with Feyenoord, Ajax, FC Twente and AZ. League leaders Feyenoord play FC Utrecht on Sunday and Ajax meet NEC in Nijmegen. The two rivals can then end up with PSV, who are currently runners-up in the Eredivisie.
Ontvang meldingen bij belangrijke ontwikkelingen rondom PSV
Revelation Sparta Rotterdam continues to perform surprisingly well in the sub-top of the Eredivisie. Coach Maurice Steijn’s side occupy sixth place and are just five points adrift of number four FC Twente and number five AZ. FC Twente won 2-0 against FC Emmen on Friday and AZ scored 1-1 against Vitesse on Saturday.
For PSV, the match against Sparta was the first game without star player Cody Gakpo. The left winger was sold to Liverpool for around 50 million euros after the success of the World Cup in Qatar, where he was accurate three times. That’s where he spent his Saturday debut.
Stand in top van de Eredivisie
- 1. Feyenoord 14-33 (+22)
- 2. PSV 15-31 (+22)
- 3. Ajax 14-30 (+27)
- 4. FC Twente 15-30 (+17)
- 5. AZ 15-30 (+9)
- 6. Sparta Rotterdam 15-25 (+9)
PSV cannot convince without Gakpo
After Gakpo’s departure, all eyes at PSV were on Anwar El Ghazi and Noni Madueke, but the two wingers failed to make an impression at the Philips Stadium in their first game without the star player.
Luuk de Jong had his first chance after eight minutes, but his effort lacked direction and power. After half an hour of play, the attacker really came close to taking the lead for the first time. However, his header ended up in the hands of Sparta goalkeeper Nick Olij. A Joey Veerman free kick also missed.
Even after the break, PSV forced few chances, which led to the necessary irritations. Sparta finished with Vito van Crooij’s strike and a pinball from a corner, but in both cases PSV goalkeeper Walter Benítez kept the goal clean.
Madueke was closest to the lead going into the final stage. After good perseverance from Guus Til, who came on for Xavi Simons, the ball reached Madueke’s backline. Up close, the attacker met Olij.
With ten minutes to go, PSV appeared to have been awarded a penalty when referee Van der Eijk was called aside by the VAR after a light charge by Micha Pinto on Teze. Van der Eijk ignored the video referee’s advice. A penalty would have been too much for PSV on a disappointing night.
