PSV EINDHOVEN are a solid club with an organised team and they’ve actually won the European Cup.
In the 1988 final, coached by Guus Hiddink, they beat Benfica on penalties after a 0-0 draw.
In the Group Stage this season they played Liverpool, Bordeaux and Galatasaray.
Against Liverpool it was 0-0 on Matchday 1 and a 2-0 defeat at Anfield on Matchday 5.They beat Galatasaray 2-1 and 2-0. They won 1-0 in Bordeaux on Matchday 2 and then, when it didn’t matter on Matchday 6, they lost 3-1 at home.
The fact that PSV didn’t score in two games against Liverpool doesn’t mean they can’t score against Arsenal.
Generally, PSV don’t make headlines. They’re not in the Deloitte Top 20 Rich List and they’re not controversial. They’re Dutch champions and league-leaders, they’ve only lost three league games, and get crowds of 35,000 for big European games, so this will be a serious test with a serious prize for the winners.
Ronald Koeman’s newly-created side is a world team with players from Brazil, Peru, Mexico, Ecuador, Morocco, Ivory Coast, France and Belgium. None of their core players is Dutch, apart from the veteran Phillip Cocu and defender Jan Kronkamp, who failed to make the grade at Liverpool.
Keeper Gomes and stopper Alex are Brazilian, top scorer Farfan is Peruvian, and Kone is an Ivory Coast centre forward with pace and peroxide hair.
Koeman was the Ajax coach who got a 1-1 at Highbury and a 0-0 in Amsterdam, which allowed Ajax to eliminate an Arsenal side which had more experience than this one.
PSV have been off-form recently but won 2-0 at Heracles with both goal coming in the last 16 minutes.
Johann Cruyff, who lives in Barcelona, has said, “PSV have a chance – you can’t say that tactically Arsenal are so phenomenal.”
If Arsenal defend well on Tuesday night, and play somewhere near their best, they can make us believe they will qualify.
I’m not making any predictions except this one : Gilberto will NOT score after 22 seconds this time. Expect a tight, tense, low-scoring game.
ALL ACROSS EUROPE, Champions League sides under-performed this weekend. It wasn’t just Arsenal.
Real Madrid, who are at home to Bayern Munich, have brought back David Beckham, who was sent off in the last minute of a 0-0 against Real Betis.
Bayern are so worried that they won’t qualify for next years Champions League that they sacked Felix Magath and restored Ottmar Hitzfeld three games ago, but they lost 1-0 in Aachen on Saturday.
Their minds are on revenge against Madrid, who knocked Bayern out of the competition in 2002 and 2004.These two clubs are core members of the European establishment, have won the European Cup 13 times between then, and met 17 times.
Beating the establishment is exciting for outsider clubs, which is why I was so thrilled when Kanu’s bender went in off the post for 2-0 against Bayern at Highbury. I thought : Bloody hell, we’re beating Bayern Munich 2-0 ! This is the big time! We’re beating the establishment !
Real Madrid have only one goalscorer: Ruud van Nistelrooy, a striker Bayern wanted.
Robinho beats defenders but he’s not really a finisher yet and may never be. And his final ball is average on a good day. I like Robinho a lot but he’s disappointed me.
Bayern have top strikers in Claudio Pizarro and Roy Makaay, who says, “We have a score to settle with Madrid.”
RICARDO OLIVEIRA is AC Milan’s only fit striker and he might bottle it at Parkhead. If he does, Celtic have the chance of a historic and prestigious home victory. Wee Gordon no doubt agrees with Graeme Souness, who once said, “These are the games you live for.”
Lille v Manchester United? Rooney is back and might pass to Cristiano if United need a goal. And Cristiano might even pass to him.
ON WEDNESDAY Barcelona play Liverpool and Inter Milan play Valencia.
Last night I watched Valencia against Barcelona and studio pundits Gus Poyet and Balague were slaughtering Ronaldinho, saying he doesn’t train properly, and talking about stars wars, Eto’o’s tantrums, and coach Frank Rijkaard’s problems.
Rijkaard had benched Giuly, Saviola and Messi, and started Gudjohnsson.
Just as I was thinking that the Zambrotta-Ronaldinho left flank thrusts would give Liverpool big problems, Angulo scored the first goal in 52 from a clever play by the electric David Villa.
Although only Ayala and Albelda remain from the Valencia side that played Arsenal, they are still a rugged, workmanlike side who give little away. They have kept more clean sheets than anybody in La Liga.
After Angulo laid a neat ball square for David Silva to make it 2-0 in 55, Rijkaard took off Gudjohnsson and brought on Messi, who is like Stan Bowles with pace, an amazing player.
When Albelda made a rough tackle on Messi, and was sitting on the ground, Deco launched himself into a crazy two-footed lunge for the ball or Albelda’s foot- it was hard to tell which. The ref sent off Deco and Albelda.
RONALDINHO responded to this emergency by raising his game, playing with passion, pride, hunger, tenacity. He had a mixed night but he fired a low free-kick past the wall and into the bottom corner for 2-1.That was in stoppage time, the game was almost over, but Ronaldinho had not given it up. I love that and I love him. He was excellent against Racing Santander the week before, scoring twice.
Obviously, Deco should not have made that angry tackle. It was pure frustration, like the Beckham incident. Both players got too emotional.
But Deco is a really great player and Liverpool haven’t got anybody fit to lace his boots.
I think Barcelona will beat Liverpool and give us a couple of classic nights against Manchester United or Chelsea.
Yes, these are the games you live for. I’m up for it. I’m motivated. If the players are as motivated as I am, we’ll see some exciting games.
Always remember that the Champions League is usually about one thing : my Brazilians are better than your Brazilians.
And don’t forget : Deco was born in Brazil.