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Guus Hiddink did not put too fine a point on it, when he was asked to review the game Vitesse-PSV 1-3. At the post-match press conference he announced he was pretty upset by the lacklustre first half performance of his players. "Last year we coasted to a comfortable win", said. "If things do not go your way, the least you might expect is a willingness to work and win the ball. Apart from two players, we did not work up enthusiasm. That’s why out first performance was below par. Vitesse were wary the first two minutes, but then they were not timid any longer and proved to be a menace. They battled for every inch and won the ball all the time, so we had nothing to complain about at half time. After the interval we worked harder and Vitesse did not really threaten any more. We scored a lucky second goal. Lamey never had the intention to curl the ball home at the far post. But that’s what you can achieve if you are willing to work hard. We made it three in stoppage time. So I am delighted with the win, but not with the way we have played at all. Actually I am still pretty upset about our first half performance." Vitesse head coach Edward Sturing thought inexperience was the cause of the defeat his team had suffered. "When the game was kicked off, we gave our all. We did not give them any space. We opened the scoring on 43 minutes and of course that would have been a wonderful half time scoreline. But then, quite unnecessary, we conceded a goal in first half injury time. Alex was completely left unmarked. He could even control the ball on his chest. You have to pay dearly for mistakes like these, when you play at top level. It is bitter to concede a goal from a set piece. PSV were tougher to fight after the break, when they played their passing game. I agree Lamey never intended to fire on target, but it was a fine goal all the same. We took risks in the final few minutes; that’s why we conceded a third goal."The next few days Guus Hiddink will try to prepare his players well for next Tuesday night’s clash against Olympique Lyon. The PSV head coach was not content with the performance of his defence. "The defenders I field on Tuesday will have to mark their opponents sharply. Fortunately we had some good players on the bench tonight. Culina and Aissati did well as substitutes. Aissati is capable of turning a game, at his age. Afellay, who was ill today, will join the squad again. Our players have come through this game unscathed, although Ooijer is still feeling dizzy. It will be a completely different game than last year."
