PSV and Sporting had very different experiences in the first round of the Champions League group stage. The Portuguese team easily defeated French side Lille 2-0 at home, with a phenomenal goal by Zeno Debast, which became the highlight of the entire round and perhaps even a contender for goal of the season. PSV, on the other hand, traveled to Turin to face Juventus, where they suffered a painful 1-3 defeat.
PSV may regret missing their chances
There’s no doubt that the pressure was significantly higher on the Dutch team ahead of Tuesday’s match, especially since they were playing at home. For much of the game, they managed their role as hosts well. They took the lead in the 15th minute with a goal from Jerdy Schouten and kept Sporting from changing the score for the majority of the match.
A terrible finish! What did he do?
In the 71st minute, however, the visitors had a huge chance to equalize. Central defender Eduardo Quaresma, unexpectedly finding himself in an attacking position, received a brilliant pass. The defender controlled the ball well and sprinted towards the goal, with only the PSV goalkeeper to beat, as their defenders were far behind. But just as he was preparing to take the shot... he tripped over his own feet and fell. He couldn’t recover before the opposing goalkeeper reached the ball, and the whole situation looked quite comical. The 22-year-old could only hold his head in disbelief.
Luckily for him, Sporting managed to equalize thanks to a goal by Daniel Bragança in the 83rd minute, securing a valuable point from Eindhoven. But who knows, if Quaresma hadn’t spectacularly wasted his chance, perhaps the Portuguese side could have even won the match. In the next round of the Champions League, Sporting will once again play away, this time in Austria against Sturm Graz (Tuesday, October 22, 21:00). PSV, still searching for their first win, face a tough challenge, as they will travel to play Paris Saint-Germain (Tuesday, October 22, 21:00).
