EUROPA LEAGUE: FC Shakhtyor Soligorsk 0-2 PSV |

THURSDAY 28TH AUGUST

EUROPA LEAGUE PLAYOFF – SECOND LEG

FC SHAKHTYOR SOLIGORSK 0 – 2 PSV

PSV win 3-0 on aggregate

Memphis Depay scored two late goals in a poor games against FC Shakhtyor, to send PSV into tomorrow’s group stage draw writes Will Burns.

Philip Cocu named a strong side in Belarus this evening as a place in the Europa League group stages and around €3 million in revenue was at stake. Only a few changes in the eleven that defeated rivals Ajax last Sunday, with the impressive Luciano Narsingh on the bench with Jetro Willems with Georginio Wijnaldum not in the matchday eighteen. Oskar Hiljemark sat in the midfield with Jürgen Locadia up front and Abel Tamata lining up at left-back.

The hostile environment inside the Borisov Arena may scared the two sides into playing, as the first half was a weak show by both teams with only six shots being exchanged throughout the first 45 minutes. Half-time came with no goals which came as no surprise since the chances were limited.

The second half was more of the same with both sides very cautious and Shakhtyor knowing one more goal from PSV would kill off the tie. PSV should have received a penalty after Memphis Depay was tripped in the area by Ihar Kuzmianok however, Welsh referee Lee Evans waved away appeals.

Chances for Depay and Luuk de Jong went begging and it looked like PSV were holding on for the 0-0 draw that would put them through. However, in the dying minutes Depay provided two goals and some magic to send the Eindhoven fans back to Holland with a smile on their face. Depay slalomed through the Shakhytor defence, skipping past Alyaksey Yanushkevich then avoiding Kuzmianok’s challenge to slot home past Artur Kotenko to give Cocu’s men the lead.

In stoppage time, Depay added a second and his eighth goal in six games to put PSV in tomorrow’s Europa League group stage draw.

TEAMS

FC SHAKHTYOR: Kotenko, Yurevich, Kuzmianok, Matveichyk, Yanushkevich, Leonchik, Rios, Stargorodskiy, Galyuza (Yanush 63), Guruli (Wojciechowski 55), Osipenko.

SUBS NOT USED: Gavrilov, Tsevan, Tupchiy, Kovalev, Vasilewski.

GOALS: None.

BOOKINGS: Rios 70, Yanush 79.

PSV: Zoet, Brenet, Bruma, Rekik, Tamata, Maher (Ritzmaier 79), Hendrix, Hiljemark, Locadia (Narsingh 67), De Jong, Depay.

SUBS NOT USED: Pasveer, Koch, Willems, Vloet, Jozefzoon.

GOALS: Depay 89 & 90+2

BOOKINGS: Brenet 64.