Mark van Bommel praised goalkeeper Jeroen Zoet and Mohamed Ihattaren afterwards. The duo helped PSV both in their own way to a 3-2 win over Sporting CP.
Honors
Yet the most impressive moment during the match did not come from them or any of the 20 other players on the pitch. It came from PSV's supporters who stood still in the 43rd minute to remember the passing of Van Bommel's former teammate Fernando Ricksen. "The PSV crowd feels this. It's not like that at every club," the coach praised.
Ihattaren
He then took the time to look back at the match, dwelling on Jeroen Zoet's sterling goalkeeping and Mohamed Ihattaren's fine play. "He is really growing," Van Bommel said of the midfielder. "Mo shows it every game, but he is still only seventeen and a half years old. If I can give him a rest now and then, I won't fail to do so," he said when asked about the substitution of the standout.
'Own fault'
That other standout kept PSV on their toes as said. "Jeroen was just very important in the phase when Sporting had a number of decent chances. At the end of the game we did manage to get out from under the pressure again. We put in some good counters and kept the ball in the team, so the offensive faded," said Van Bommel, who can already set his sights on Ajax again. In less than 72 hours the topper awaits at Philips Stadion and so PSV has little rest. "Then we should have just made it to Champions League. Own fault," the coach concluded.