PSV Eindhoven’s Champions League campaign got off to a rocky start as they suffered a shock 3-1 home defeat to Belgian champions Union Saint-Gilloise. The result not only marked a disappointing beginning to their European season but also continued a worrying trend of opening-game losses in recent years. While manager Peter Bosz remained composed in the aftermath, the frustration within the squad—particularly from midfielder Joey Veerman—was evident.
Union Saint-Gilloise Stun PSV in Historic UCL Debut
In their first-ever UEFA Champions League appearance, Union Saint-Gilloise produced a performance to remember at the Philips Stadion. Goals from Promise David, Anouar Ait El Hadj, and Kevin Mac Allister sealed a deserved victory for the Belgian side, who outclassed their more experienced Dutch hosts on multiple fronts.
Despite PSV managing to create opportunities in the opening half, their finishing let them down, while Union were clinical and composed when it mattered most. American striker Ricardo Pepi was involved in two of the Belgian club’s goals, adding insult to injury for PSV, who had high hopes of starting their group stage campaign on the front foot.
Peter Bosz Admits Quality Was Lacking
After the game, PSV head coach Peter Bosz offered a candid assessment of his team’s performance. Speaking to Ziggo Sport, Bosz admitted his side didn’t do enough to win.
“If you’re not good enough, you need luck—and we didn’t have that either,” he said. “We had a few chances in the first half and failed to take them. Then we concede a penalty… overall, they deserved the win.”
Bosz refrained from blaming individual players and maintained that the team effort, while committed, simply didn’t meet Champions League standards. “I only get angry when the players don’t give their all. That wasn’t the issue—we just weren’t good enough. But we’ve learned from previous first-game losses. Now, we need to raise our level again.”
Daunting Schedule Looms for PSV
Tuesday’s defeat marked the fifth consecutive time PSV have lost their opening match in the Champions League group stage. Unfortunately for Bosz’s side, the road ahead is even more difficult. The group includes European powerhouses like Atletico Madrid, Napoli, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, and Bayer Leverkusen.
While Bosz emphasized that early setbacks haven’t derailed past campaigns, this year’s group presents one of the toughest challenges PSV has faced in recent memory. “This is my third time in the Champions League with PSV, and we’ve lost the opener every time. But the other campaigns still ended well,” Bosz said optimistically.
Joey Veerman Slams Team’s Lack of Confidence
Midfielder Joey Veerman didn’t hold back in his post-match comments, highlighting a lack of courage on the ball as one of PSV’s biggest issues.
“It looked like people were afraid to receive the ball,” Veerman said. “When that happens, everyone starts running with it, and everything slows down. It just wasn’t good enough.”
While Veerman acknowledged that mistakes are part of the game, he was particularly frustrated with teammate Ismael Saibari, who missed two clear scoring chances—one of them in front of an open goal. “That can’t happen in the Champions League,” he emphasized.
PSV’s shock defeat to Union Saint-Gilloise is a major setback in their Champions League journey, especially considering the challenging fixtures that lie ahead. With time still on their side and past experience of turning campaigns around, the Dutch side will need to regroup quickly. But as both Bosz and Veerman pointed out, improvement isn’t optional—it’s essential.
