PSV picked up their first victory in the UEFA Champions League this season on Tuesday, beating FC Porto away thanks to a goal from Guus Til. The Eindhoven club bounced back from a shock defeat to ADO Den Haag last weekend.
The victory puts PSV right in the mid-table of the league. They are 16th out of the 36 teams, having won one game, drawn one, and lost one. Their current position would ensure that they advance to the playoff round.
Manager Peter Bosz brought centre-back Yarek Gasierowksi and young Bosnian winger Esmir Bajraktarevic into the starting 11. They were chosen to start ahead of Armando Obispo and Dennis Man.
Both sides created chances early on, with Lutsharel Geertruida finding Ivan Perisic for a header which went wide before Porto winger Oskar Pietuszewski squandered a chance in the PSV box.
Bosz’s side were almost gifted a goal shortly before halftime. An attempt at a backpass from Antonio Costa went right into the path of Filip Kostic; the Serbian carried the ball to goal but only managed to find the outside of the post with his effort.
PSV hit the post for the second time in the 57th minute before getting the solitary goal of the game a minute later. Perisic’s cross went past the Porto defence to Bajraktarevic, who hit the post with his effort.
The Bosnian winger created the goal a minute later. He misled former PSV midfielder Pablo Rosario in the box before laying it off to Sven Mijnans just outside the six-yard box. His side-footed effort was going wide if not for Guus Til, who was in the right place at the right time to convert.
Bajraktarevic forced Porto keeper Diogo Costa into a sharp reflex save just after the hour mark when Mijnans found him in the box.
An error from PSV keeper Matej Kovar almost gifted the home side an equalizer. Kovar’s pass was intercepted, leading to a dangerous chance which the keeper partly redeemed by saving Andre Silva’s shot before Victor Froholdt had his effort blocked off the goal line by Geertruida.
Kovar got away with another error a minute later. The Slovenian came out but was beaten to the ball by Alberto Costa. This led to the Porto defender sprinting towards the ball knowing that a single touch would be a goal, but Sergino Dest came sprinting in from the side and got to the ball before the Brazilian.
It is a vital victory for PSV, who will now focus on their top-of-the-table clash against Feyenoord on Sunday in the Eredivisie. Feyenoord, who are top of the table with a four-point lead over Bosz’s side, play in the Champions League tomorrow against Real Betis.
