Europa League: Fred Rutten unhappy with PSV show against Lille
Europa League Round of 32 first leg encounter between http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/PSV-c40281 Eindhoven ended in a 2 – 2 stalemate last night. PSV manager, Fred Rutten, was unhappy with his side’s performance on the pitch against the home side, despite his side taking two precious
away goals to Philips Stadion Eindhoven for the second leg encounter.
Rutten was left with mixed emotions after the match ended, as his side was out of the contest in the first half. The tactician believed that his men were beaten in all departments on the pitch. However, they managed to claim a draw in the end.
The former Schalke 04 tactician said, “We lost all aspects on the pitch, especially the midfield in the first-half. We were shocked at how fast Lille's first goal went in, and we were not in the game at that stage.”
“I was completely surprised by the rest. We were much better in the second half. We are now in the tie, as the away goals count for a lot in Europe,” he concluded.
The 48-year-old tactician will have a week to reassess his side’s mistakes and overcome them, as the return leg will be played in front of the Boeren crowd next Thursday. Rutten knows the importance of the away goals and he will be looking to hold on to
the two away goals advantage.
On the other hand, Lille were left absolutely stunned as they were in full control for most part of the game. LOSC performance on the pitch till the 80th minute made many believe that their erratic form in the Europa League has been overcome.
However, two late goals from PSV turned a perfect French victory into a nightmare.
Les Dogues manager, Rudi Garcia, has every right to blame his side as they missed out the opportunity to emerge victorious, despite having a two-goal lead for much of the game. Garcia’s men will have to improve their game if they want to take themselves
to next phase of Europa League this year. However, Garcia knows that it will not be an easy task beating an impressive PSV side, which has been enjoying a great domestic season at Eindhoven.
The Dutch outfit will be pleased with the results and they will be hoping that they can continue to perform well in the coming days, as the Boeren are aiming to reach the quarterfinals of Europe’s secondary competition. Last night, Red White Army played
their 100th match in European competitions, but missed out on a historic 50th victory. The Boeren’s will be looking to achieve this landmark in front of their home crowd and qualify for the next phase of Europa League.
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