The first home match of the calendar year ended in defeat for PSV. Compared to Ajax away, Roger Schmidt's team now faced a 0-2 deficit. The tying goal fell, but AZ threw a spanner in the works for PSV in the closing stages.
Chess
For the first time in nearly eight years, PSV started a league game without Jorrit Hendrix as an official selection member. On PSV's Matchday Show, he bid farewell to the club prior to the second topper in three days. Soon the intentions of both teams were visible. Both PSV and AZ tried to apply forward pressure in order to disrupt each other's build-up and create a footballing superiority. This resulted in a tactical chess game, in which major chances were spared.
Doubles
Almost out of nowhere the Alkmaar team took the lead on the half hour. Myron Boadu was floored by Yvon Mvogo in the penalty area, leaving referee Gözübüyük to do nothing but point to the spot. Teun Koopmeiners did not let the gift go unused. AZ then took the initiative in the match and before halftime the visitors doubled their lead. With a subtle foot movement, the same Koopmeiners promoted a corner kick to a goal, surprising the entire PSV defense.
Field superiority is rewarded
An opportunistic PSV came out of the dressing room in the second half. AZ - unlike in the first half - retreated to their own half and lurked on the counter. PSV determined, directed, but there was no goal. That changed when Philipp Max took a free kick after an hour. With extreme precision, the German curled the ball over the wall into the short corner, far out of reach of the AZ goalie.
Decision
PSV pressed emphatically in the final quarter of an hour in search of the equalizer. A particular bright spot was the return of Marco van Ginkel, who returned to the lines after almost a thousand days of injury. Instead of the equalizer, the 1-3 fell to the other side at the end of the game. That meant the second league defeat this season.
