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Ronald Koeman emphasized at the post-match press conference that PSV and Ajax were well-matched. "But we never ran into trouble. We are on top and that’s all that matters." Koeman was not content with his side’s first half performance. "I thought we put in a rather poor display. We were restless and played far too many long balls. Ajax were the better side before the break. But that changed after the interval. We felt more at ease and scored the opening goal from a set piece. I thought we did better than Ajax at that stage. But then Mendez was dismissed. I think the referee should have been more lenient; this was a severe decision. We defended well and Koné could have made it 2-0. Even when we were down to ten men, we never ran into trouble. Whether we deserved to win? We are on top and that’s all that matters." Ajax coach Henk ten Cate praised his players. "If this had been an exam, they would have passed. We put in a fine first-half performance and put on pressure on PSV. We didn’t allow them a moment’s rest. We didn’t create clear-cut chances, but we should have finished at least one opportunity. We couldn’t pile up the pressure after the break. It’s a shame they scored a goal. I thought it would be a goalless draw and we were the slightly better team over the full 90 minutes. We have been taught a lesson. We are making progress, but lack maturity at times to kill off games like this one", concluded Ten Cate.
