TURIN, Italy (Reuters) - PSV Eindhoven felt they should have taken more from Tuesday’s Champions League away clash against Juventus where they conceded a late goal to go down 2-1 in the first leg of their Champions League knockout phase playoff tie on Tuesday.
The Dutch club fought their way back into the game after being 1-0 down at halftime but saw Juventus substitute Samuel Mbangula snatch an 82nd minute winner
“I think it's a shame,” PSV coach Peter Bosz said afterwards. “I didn't think it was necessary to lose. Why did it happen? Because it's a top match and these kinds of game usually turn on small details. And we came up short on two or three of them.”
Weston McKennie gave the Italian giants the lead but PSV were level early in the second half when veteran Ivan Perisic equalised.
“I think it was an unnecessary loss,” added Bosz. “We had a hard time in the first five minutes but after that I thought we had a grip on the match. We dared to play football and the first big chance came our way.
“We scored a great goal to make the score 1-1. Then it's a shame that you give it away like this.”
Mbangula’s goal came after PSV goalkeeper Walter Benítez parried the ball into the path of the replacement striker, who had an easy finish.
But besides pointing out errors, Bosz praised the performance of Croatian international Perisic who turned 36 at the start of the month.
“I think what he showed was very special. Not only because he scored, but I think was a very well-taken goal.”
PSV hosts the return leg at Eindhoven’s Philips Stadion next Wednesday, February 19.
(Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Michael Perry)
