PSV took three important points against Sparta Rotterdam in a swirling Philips Stadium. The players' patience was tested but in the end the team rewarded itself. Roger Schmidt and Ryan Thomas look back on a chance-rich match.
Faith
The win over the Rotterdammers did not come without a fight. After 80 minutes of struggle, the first goal fell. Yet Schmidt always kept faith that the goal would fall: "It was a good game. We constantly had chances by staying sharp and organized. Of course it's easier when you already have a ball in after 10 minutes, but we stayed well calm. I believed in us all the time and that our goal would fall."
Sangaré
Standout player of the match was Ibrahim Sangaré. The Ivorian played a fine game and also accounted for the opening goal. He also found the net against Sturm Graz. "After his shot it was done," Schmidt explained. "He showed how to score a good goal. He develops well, is creative and always knows how to win the ball. Sometimes I think he is underrated. His development is impressive."
Comeback Thomas
Ryan Thomas scored his first goal after a long period of injury. "I'm very happy," he says. "I hope I can support the team more from now on." He confirmed it was a tough game today. "It is difficult when there are five players on defense. In addition, we had a lot of chances that were missed. This gave them self-confidence," the midfielder said.
Belief
Thomas explains how they stuck to the way they played and kept believing. "When you don't create chances at all, you have to change something. Our chances did come and then it's enough to stick to the strategy." The New Zealander says it was extra important to win the game today so they could rejoin the top of the Eredivisie. "We saw that our rivals had lost games. We wanted to get those three points. It took a little longer than expected, but in the end it worked out."
