PSV Lament Unnecessary Defeat in Champions League Clash at Juventus 

PSV Eindhoven's Dutch coach Peter Bosz reacts during the UEFA Champions League knockout phase play-off 1st leg football match between Juventus and PSV Eindhoven at the Allianz stadium in Turin, on February 11, 2025. (AFP)
PSV Eindhoven's Dutch coach Peter Bosz reacts during the UEFA Champions League knockout phase play-off 1st leg football match between Juventus and PSV Eindhoven at the Allianz stadium in Turin, on February 11, 2025. (AFP)
TT
20

PSV Lament Unnecessary Defeat in Champions League Clash at Juventus 

PSV Eindhoven's Dutch coach Peter Bosz reacts during the UEFA Champions League knockout phase play-off 1st leg football match between Juventus and PSV Eindhoven at the Allianz stadium in Turin, on February 11, 2025. (AFP)
PSV Eindhoven's Dutch coach Peter Bosz reacts during the UEFA Champions League knockout phase play-off 1st leg football match between Juventus and PSV Eindhoven at the Allianz stadium in Turin, on February 11, 2025. (AFP)

PSV Eindhoven felt they should have taken more from Tuesday's Champions League away clash against Juventus where they conceded a late goal to go down 2-1 in the first leg of their Champions League knockout phase playoff tie on Tuesday.

The Dutch club fought their way back into the game after being 1-0 down at halftime but saw Juventus substitute Samuel Mbangula snatch an 82nd minute winner

"I think it's a shame," PSV coach Peter Bosz said afterwards. "I didn't think it was necessary to lose. Why did it happen? Because it's a top match and these kinds of games usually turn on small details. And we came up short on two or three of them."

Weston McKennie gave the Italian giants the lead but PSV were level early in the second half when veteran Ivan Perisic equalized.

"I think it was an unnecessary loss," added Bosz. "We had a hard time in the first five minutes but after that I thought we had a grip on the match. We dared to play football and the first big chance came our way.

"We scored a great goal to make the score 1-1. Then it's a shame that you give it away like this."

Mbangula's goal came after PSV goalkeeper Walter Benítez parried the ball into the path of the replacement striker, who had an easy finish.

But besides pointing out errors, Bosz praised the performance of Croatian international Perisic who turned 36 at the start of the month.

"I think what he showed was very special. Not only because he scored, but I think was a very well-taken goal."

PSV hosts the return leg at Eindhoven's Philips Stadion next Wednesday, February 19.



RB Leipzig Fire Coach Marco Rose

(FILES) Leipzig's German head coach Marco Rose reacts from the sidelines during the German Cup (DFB Pokal) quarter final football match between RB Leipzig and VfL Wolfsburg in Leipzig, eastern Germany, on February 26, 2025. (Photo by Ronny Hartmann / AFP)
(FILES) Leipzig's German head coach Marco Rose reacts from the sidelines during the German Cup (DFB Pokal) quarter final football match between RB Leipzig and VfL Wolfsburg in Leipzig, eastern Germany, on February 26, 2025. (Photo by Ronny Hartmann / AFP)
TT
20

RB Leipzig Fire Coach Marco Rose

(FILES) Leipzig's German head coach Marco Rose reacts from the sidelines during the German Cup (DFB Pokal) quarter final football match between RB Leipzig and VfL Wolfsburg in Leipzig, eastern Germany, on February 26, 2025. (Photo by Ronny Hartmann / AFP)
(FILES) Leipzig's German head coach Marco Rose reacts from the sidelines during the German Cup (DFB Pokal) quarter final football match between RB Leipzig and VfL Wolfsburg in Leipzig, eastern Germany, on February 26, 2025. (Photo by Ronny Hartmann / AFP)

RB Leipzig have fired coach Marco Rose, days out from a German Cup semi-final clash at Stuttgart, the club said in a statement on Sunday.

Jurgen Klopp, Head of Soccer at parent company Red Bull, was not named in the statement and has said previously he would not step in as coach, whether on a permanent or interim basis.

Leipzig slipped to sixth in the table after Saturday's 1-0 loss at Borussia Moenchengladbach, their sixth successive away match without a win, AFP reported.

Leipzig-born Rose took over in September 2022 and guided them to a German Cup triumph in his first season in charge.

"We believed in Marco and his team for a very long time and tried everything until the very end to turn things around together," sporting director Marcel Schaefer said in a statement.

"However, given the current situation and the lack of results, we are firmly convinced that we need a new impetus for the remaining games to achieve our goals this season."

Leipzig thanked Rose for his time at the club but the coach was not quoted in the statement.