Presumably working against deadlines, the game, after all, did not end until just before midnight, the morning papers opened Wednesday with PSV's Madrid match anyway. An overview.
Pride and disappointment
On the front page of the Eindhovens Dagblad reads 'Zooo dichtbij...' in chocolate letters. 'After 210 minutes without goals,' including the home game, 'Atlético Madrid against PSV was decided from eleven meters. One ball after another plopped against the net without any problems, until Narsingh suddenly hit the aluminum. Pride and disappointment competed'.
Consoled
'We were close,' sighed Jetro Willems an hour after the lost penalty shootout series. 'I can't handle the tension normally, so I didn't look and kept turning around at the penalty series,' the back told the ED. 'Of course we consoled Luciano. One time one doesn't go in. Unfortunately it was him'.
Mature team performance
According to the Telegraaf, PSV sold their skin dearly and went down honorably. 'The Eindhoven players can look back with pride on their performance in the Champions League, including the lost return in Madrid,' Jeroen Kapteijns writes. 'PSV impressed with a mature team performance and well-groomed field play. The Dutch leader showed initiative and combined easily in Atlético Madrid's half. The PSV'ers were by no means impressed by the atmosphere in Estadio Vicente Calderón, which was great with 50,000 passionate sympathetic Spaniards and the armada of over 3,000 Brabanders traveling along'.
<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-long="nl"><p lang="en-us" dir="ltr">The day after the night before: proud of the team and all of PSV. Ambition followed, struggle and almost a mega sensation. Chapeau</p>— Toon Gerbrands (@ToonGerbrands) <a href="https://twitter.com/ToonGerbrands/status/710011459418365952">March 16, 2016</a></blockquote><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></center>
Champions League makes PSV better
In his column, Jaap de Groot emphatically praised PSV. 'The national champion at the highest level is almost un-Dutch good,' De Groot said. 'In the lion's den, PSV was equal to Atlético Madrid. In a way that appealed. Not only have several players visibly improved, as a team the reigning national champion is capable of tactical flexibility when the situation calls for it.' Read the full column here via Blendle.
No contraction
'Playing 0-0 twice against Atlético Madrid and also not budging in the extension; it is almost worth a ten with a pin,' writes journalist Maarten Wijffels in the Algemeen Dagblad. 'Almost so, because of course there was the disappointment after the rock-hard verdict from eleven meters'. According to the captain himself, Luuk de Jong 's substitution had nothing to do with the impending penalty series. 'I really couldn't anymore. I jumped in the air and by then it almost shot my hamstrings,' De Jong explained.
Seven Dutchmen
'PSV, with seven Dutchmen in the base, left Atlético Madrid reeling in the eighth final of the Champions League. Only after 210 minutes and 16 penalties were the Spaniards too strong,' was Willem Vissers' conclusion in the Volkskrant. 'In an intoxicating setting of passion and excitement, PSV once again embalmed the wounded soul of Dutch football'.