Categories
football Sports News

LEICESTER STRIKE LATE TO STUN PSV IN EUROPA CONFERENCE LEAGUE QUARTER-FINAL

Ricardo Pereira’s dramatic late strike sent gutsy Leicester into the Europa Conference League semi-finals after they stunned PSV.

The defender’s goal with two minutes left completed a brilliant turnaround to seal a 2-1 win on the night in Eindhoven in their quarter-final second leg.

James Maddison had levelled the tie with 13 minutes remaining after Youri Tielemans’ error allowed Eran Zahavi to grab a first-half opener.

The Foxes will face Bodo/Glimt or Roma in the final four having reached the semi-final of a European competition for the first time in their history.

After last week’s 0-0 first-leg draw in Leicester, boss Brendan Rodgers felt PSV would be more open at home and the Foxes found some early joy but were reminded of the hosts’ threat after 14 minutes.

Philipp Max scampered down the left and crossed for the unmarked Mario Gotze to hit a volley which Kasper Schmeichel brilliantly turned over.

It was clear it would be far more open than the first leg and Leicester should have gone ahead two minutes later when Harvey Barnes missed a fine chance.

Kelechi Iheanacho’s pass sent the forward racing towards goal but, with Andre Ramalho for company, he rolled his tame shot a yard wide.

It was to prove costly as, after Schmeichel saved from Joey Veerman, Leicester self-destructed after 27 minutes to gift PSV the lead.

Tielemans’ poor pass fell straight to Gotze and he darted towards the area before feeding Zahavi. The striker found space and drilled an angled drive across Schmeichel into the corner.

Leicester had been sloppy when it counted most, at both ends, but they were more than equal to PSV, with Tielemans’ mistake the only real difference.

The Foxes remained undaunted and could have levelled after 33 minutes when Maddison’s drive hit Ramalho and looped over Yvon Mvogo, only for Jordan Teze to acrobatically clear off the line.

Chances came and went, with Timothy Castagne heading wide and Maddison firing over as the Foxes continued to prove they would find openings.

With 45 minute to save their European hopes, Rodgers sent on Ademola Lookman and Patson Daka for Barnes and Marc Albrighton at the break as he rolled the dice to reach the last four.

PSV, though, initially looked the more likely to add a second, with Veerman’s low drive fizzing wide, Tielemans presenting a chance to Cody Gakpo and Zahavi heading over.

But Leicester spurned their own glorious opening to level just after the hour when Lookman played Daka through and the striker drilled wide from the edge of the area.

Mvogo turned Maddison’s low effort wide soon after and the Foxes survived a huge scare when Ibrahim Sangare, found by Gakpo, held off Castagne but fired over.

Yet Rodgers’ men had been gaining momentum, with Maddison at the heart, and they levelled with 13 minutes left.

Substitute Ayoze Perez battled his way to the byline and showed excellent awareness to pick out Maddison, who swept high past Mvogo from 12 yards.

Tails up, Leicester could sense victory and, after Mvogo denied Perez, they stunned the Philips Stadium with a winner two minutes from time.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall slipped in Lookman and he crossed for Daka, whose shot was parried by Mvogo with the ball running free for Pereira to fire in the rebound and send the Foxes into dreamland.

Categories
football Slides Sports News

LEICESTER HELD TO FRUSTRATING DRAW BY PSV IN FIRST LEG OF QUARTER FINAL

Leicester missed the chance to take control of their Europa Conference League quarter-final after drawing 0-0 with PSV.

The Foxes head to Eindhoven next week without a precious advantage following an even and competitive first leg at the King Power Stadium.

Harvey Barnes hit the bar and Kelechi Iheanacho missed a golden first-half chance to give Leicester crucial breathing space.

Ultimately the Foxes were left frustrated in a combative encounter, although they needed Kasper Schmeichel to bail them out early when he saved from Mario Gozte.

Leicester’s last European quarter-final was their 2017 Champions League tie with Atletico Madrid. Then, they gallantly bowed out 2-1 on aggregate after two gutsy performances and this time they go to Eindhoven with the tie delicately poised.

Five years ago they were defiant in the face of the footballing elite and, after a disappointing early exit from the Europa League in December, the Foxes are three games away from their first European final.

They face a team second in the Eredivisie, but outgoing PSV boss Roger Schmidt, who will be replaced by Ruud Van Nistelrooy in the summer, insisted pre-match his side could not match Leicester’s individual talent.

He argued they needed to use their collective ability and the visitors nearly stunned the hosts after just two minutes.

The Foxes were caught napping at a throughball and Gotze had just Schmeichel to beat, but the goalkeeper – one of only two survivors from the starting line up against Atletico – saved well.

Initially Leicester failed to settle, with the lively Noni Madueke central to PSV’s early threat, but they gradually began to see more of the ball and wrestled a degree of control.

And they should have gone ahead after 20 minutes, only for Iheanacho to blow his chance.

Joey Veerman was closed down by Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and he blocked his pass to send Iheanacho clear after outpacing Andre Ramalho.

The striker was left with just Yvon Mvogo to beat, but he dinked the ball wide.

It at least proved the openings were there for Leicester and Timothy Castagne was the next to threaten, but he failed to trouble Mvogo.

The Foxes were finding the space needed and they were millimetres away from going into the break ahead.

Again, Dewsbury-Hall was the instigator as he charged down the left and cut the ball back for Barnes to swap passes with Iheanacho and crash an angled drive off the underside of the bar from 12 yards.

The Foxes were the aggressors and PSV had lacked the imagination to unlock Leicester since Schmeichel’s early duel with Gotze.

The visitors did, however, make appeals for a penalty early in the second half when Ricardo Pereira slipped and appeared to foul Cody Gakpo, but referee Ivan Kruzliak was unmoved and there was no VAR to review.

Iheanacho drilled wide just after the hour and, as the game wore on, PSV were clearly happy to take the draw back to the Philips Stadium.

They took the sting out of the game and now Leicester must do things the hard way in Holland.

Categories
football Slides Sports News Transfer News

DORTMUND SIGNS MALEN FROM PSV TO REPLACE SANCHO

Borussia Dortmund have completed the signing of Netherlands forward Donyell Malen from PSV Eindhoven on a five-year contract, it was announced on Tuesday.

The 22-year-old arrives following the departure of Jadon Sancho to Manchester United for €85 million.

“Borussia Dortmund is a top European club that is always at the top of the Bundesliga and also has high demands on itself in the Champions League,” Malen said.

“I can hardly wait to be on the pitch with my new teammates, to be able to measure myself against the best. And of course I’m looking forward to the fans and the stadium that all of Europe raves about.”

Malen, who played for Ajax and Arsenal at youth level, moved to PSV in 2017 and played for Jong PSV in the second tier. He won Player of the Year in his first season. He made four first-team appearances for the side which won the Eredivisie title in 2017-18.

The following campaign, he was promoted to the senior side and scored 10 league goals. In 2020-21, he finished the season with 27 in all competitions — his best-ever single season tally.

Malen has 13 Netherlands caps and was part of the Euro 2020 squad, starting two matches, including the surprise round of 16 defeat to Czech Republic.

“Donyell is a player with great offensive potential, who exudes goal danger, brings his creativity to the table and has a high speed,” BVB director Michael Zorc added.

Categories
football Slides Sports News

NETHERLANDS LEGEND, ARJEN ROBBEN RETIRES FOR THE SECOND TIME

Arjen Robben has retired from football for the second time at the age of 37.

The former Netherlands international initially hung up his boots in 2019 before reversing the decision to return to his first club Groningen last season.

Injuries and the coronavirus pandemic marred the winger’s second spell and he announced his decision on Thursday.

Robben won two Premier League titles, two League Cups and an FA Cup with Chelsea during a stellar career,

He also played at PSV Eindhoven, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, and won 96 caps for his country, scoring 37 goals.

He wrote on Twitter: “I have decided to end my active football career, it was a very difficult choice. I want to thank everyone for their heart-warming support!”

Signed by Claudio Ranieri before he was sacked by Chelsea in 2004, Robben played a key role as the Blues won back-to-back titles under Jose Mourinho in 2005 and 2006.

In 2007, he was sold to Real Madrid, but, despite winning La Liga in his first season, it was at Bayern Munich where he showed his best form.

Robben joined the German side in 2009 and helped them to a treble four years later by scoring in the Champions League final win over Borussia Dortmund at Wembley. He stayed in Bavaria until his first retirement.

Having played in the 2010 World Cup final, which the Dutch lost to Spain, Robben quit international football in 2017 when the national team failed to qualify for the 2018 tournament in Russia.