The treatment room was the most popular place at De Kuip in the run-up to the game, which cut Verbeek’s options drastically. The Feyenoord coach advised his team that they just had to get on with the job in hand and they did just that in the first half. The Rotterdammers started more brightly than their Eindhoven opponents. It resulted in two good opportunities within the opening quarter of an hour. Denny Landzaat picked up the second ball from a corner and let rip immediately, but was unable to keep his effort down. Not long after Luigi Bruins could not manage to get his head fully on a Giovanni van Bronckhorst cross. PSV responded with a wayward drive from Timmy Simons.
As the first half drew on PSV started to gain more control, mainly through the individual skill of new arrival Nordin Amrabat. The striker was very close to opening the scoring on a couple of occasions, but came up empty handed. One such chance was a hard shot five minutes before the break. It sped across the goal and out.
Feyenoord had a wonderful chance to edge in front just before half time. André Bahia was unable to latch on to an in-swinging cross from Luigi Bruins. It all meant that the sides went in all square at the break.
The complexion of the game changed radically at the beginning of the second half though. Ibrahim Afellay signalled PSV’s intent within five minutes, rattling the outside of the post, but the breakthrough finally came on 55 minutes. Danko Lazovic was left completely free on the left to nod home a high cross and give his side the lead.
Timmer was all that was stopping PSV from doubling their advantage within five minutes. Dirk Marcellis got his toe to the ball in a skirmish in the box, but the keeper reacted well to save.
It was only a stay of execution however, as the Rotterdammers found themselves two goals down when Marcellis struck with just over twenty minutes to go. A corner from Afellay was met by the defender right in front of goal and the resulting header was unstoppable.
In the final half an hour Michael Janota and Mitchell Schet came on to make their official debuts for Feyenoord. That didn’t mean that Verbeek had thrown in the towel though. Janota almost set up a comeback goal for Feyenoord in fact. Denny Landzaat met the Pole’s cross awkwardly however and the danger fizzled out. By that time Schet had already tested PSV keeper Isaksson.
PSV had a gilt-edged chance to extend their lead in the final minutes. Amrabat found himself with an open goal at his mercy, but he spurned the opportunity.
Feyenoord – PSV 0-2
55’ 0-1 Lazovic
67’ 0-2 Marcellis
Referee: Blom
Bookings: Hofs, Van Bronckhorst, Marcellis, Zonneveld
Feyenoord: Timmer; Greene, Bahia, Landzaat, De Cler; Wijnaldum, Bruins, Van Bronckhorst, Hofs (65’ Schet); Mols (78’ Janota) and Biseswar.
PSV: Isaksson; Salcido (76’ Rodriguez), Marcellis, Bréchet, Zonneveld (69’ Pieters); Afellay, Méndez, Simons, Wuytens, Amrabat; Lazovic (82’ Dzsudzsak).
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