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Home > News > PSV won a tense penalty shoot-out to beat AC Milan (PSV.nl)

PSV won a tense penalty shoot-out to beat AC Milan (PSV.nl)

3 Aug 2007 - Source: PSV.nl

This newsitem has been supplied by PSV.nl


PSV have reached the Russian Railways Cup final in Moscow. The opening game of the tournament between PSV and AC Milan had ended in a 0-0 draw, but Ronald Koeman's team beat the Italian Champions League winners 4-3 after a tense penalty shoot-out. Timmy Simons failed to convert his spot kick, but Gomes saved a penalty, while Clarence Seedorf missed the decisive penalty.
PSV will meet the winner of the Lokomotiv Moscow-Real Madrid clash on Sunday. PSV played their best match of the pre-season campaign, but were unable to convert their chances into goals. It may have been a friendly, pre-season game, without any real pressure, but this was no ordinary run of the mill contest and prestige was at stake. PSV threatened a few times, but lacked scoring power up front. First-choice penalty-taker Simons was the first player that failed to convert a penalty during the shoot-out, but PSV goalkeeper Gomes saved a spot kick and De Jong, Addo, Zonneveld and Salcido were all on target. When Seedorf stepped up to take his penalty, he sent his effort on the bar, so PSV booked a place in the final, following a confidence-inspiring win for Ronald Koeman's squad.
PSV did not hit their best form in the opening stages and found it hard to play attacking football. But they gradually moved players forward and Ismail Aissati came close to scoring the opener when he unleashed two fierce long-range efforts. A few minutes from half-time Danko Lazovic netted a goal after Edison Mendez had turned provider, but the goal was rightly disallowed for offside. At the other end Andrea Pirlo rattled the post with a 20-yarder. It was raining in Moscow, so the pitch became slippery and players sometimes could not keep their feet. And when the players heard claps of thunder, the pace of the game slowed down. Yet PSV made a more mature impression than during their two previous warm-up friendlies, when they took on VVV-Venlo and MSV Duisburg.

After the break Otman Bakkal came close to breaking the deadlock twice and Lazovic sent a shot just wide of the goal. Koeman took off Mendez and brought on Culina, who did well as a substitute, and Jonathan took over from Lazovic. The game could go either way, with the team scoring the first goal obviously being hot candidates to reach Sunday's final. Mike Zonneveld tried his luck with a left-footed shot from long-distance that went just wide of the goal. In the closing stages a Jason Culina corner was poorly cleared, but no PSV player was on hand to tap home the rebound. AC Milan did not find the net, either, so a penalty shoot-out was needed to get a result. PSV have reached the final that will kick off on Sunday at 18:30 (Dutch time).
Match details:
Venue: Lokomotiv Stadium, Moscow
Goals: -
PSV penalties: Simons (saved by Dida), De Jong, Addo, Zonneveld, Salcido
PSV line-up:
Gomes, Kromkamp, Addo, Salcido, Zonneveld, Simons, Afellay, Aissati (85. De Jong), Mendez (64. Culina), Bakkal, Lazovic (68. Jonathan).