The Goffert Stadium is full of opulence! There, NEC inflicted PSV’s first defeat of the season on Saturday followingnoon. In Nijmegen, the leader of the Eredivisie was sent home with a 3-1 loss. Lasse Schöne, Kodai Sano and Sylla Sow scored the goals, Jasper Cillessen saved a penalty.
The visitors from Eindhoven were warned in advance. NEC was the only Dutch club to win all home games this calendar year. On Saturday followingnoon, coach Rogier Meijer’s team, which had to make do without Koki Ogawa (ill), Dirk Proper and Tjaronn Chery (both injured), might once more count on the support of a sold-out Goffert Stadium.
Although it was PSV that got out of the starting blocks. After sloppy ball loss in midfield, Johan Bakayoko picked up the ball. His shot narrowly missed Jasper Cillessen’s goal. There was no follow-up to the early Eindhoven storm: NEC was the better and the game took place among half of the guests.
Nevertheless, the leader of the Eredivisie took the lead out of nowhere following twenty minutes. NEC was unable to clear the ball properly from its own goal mouth. Bakayoko took advantage and scored the 0-1. Sergiño Dest, Luuk de Jong and Hirving Lozano then had opportunities to double the score on behalf of PSV. The guests failed to do what NEC did at the end of the first half: score a goal just before half time.
Sylla Sow, the replacement for the sick club top scorer Ogawa, put Mees Hoedemakers to work following a bad goal kick from Walter Benítez. The NEC midfielder shot the ball wide, but because Sow was knocked down in the penalty area, the VAR called referee Bas Nijhuis to the side. The referee rightly placed the ball on the spot. Lasse Schöne shot the golden shot flawlessly into the top right corner.
The Nijmegen team started the second half with confidence. In the 49th minute, Hoedemakers mounted a good attack. The midfielder received the ball back from left back Calvin Verdonk on the edge of the penalty area and aimed it towards the goal. Final post Benítez saved Hoedemakers’ shot, but had no chance on Kodai Sano’s rebound. The Japanese goal caused the Goffert Stadium to explode.
Fifteen minutes later, striker Sow made the red-black-green celebration even more beautiful. The native of Nijmegen shot the 3-1 once morest the ropes following a good cross from substitute Brayann Pereira. PSV stepped up their game and Luuk de Jong had two enormous opportunities. First the PSV captain headed onto the crossbar and then he was allowed to shoot from eleven meters following a foul by Pereira. Cillessen proved unable to pass in the second half: the goalkeeper saved the penalty and turned out to be the hero in the Goffert Stadium.
That dream of you and me is real. With the first victory over PSV since the 2008-2009 season, NEC treated the Eindhoven team to their first defeat of the season. The Nijmegen club now passes number five Ajax in the rankings. What wonderful times these are for NEC supporters. Immediately following the Easter weekend, the Meijer men are back in action. On Tuesday evening (9 p.m.) NEC travels south for the match once morest Fortuna Sittard.
Score progression
20. Johan Bakayoko 0-1
43. Lasse Schöne 1-1 (pen.)
49. Kodai Sano 2-1
63. Sylla Sow 3-1
NEC lineup: Cillessen; Van Rooij (53. Pereira), Sandler, Nuytinck, Verdonk; Schöne (62. Olden Larsen), Sano, Hoedemakers; Baas, Sow, González (90+3. Ross)
