American foreigner Ricardo Pepi came off the bench to help PSV Eindhoven overturn a two-goal lead against Sevilla and qualify for the Champions League round of 16 for the first time since 2015-16.
Pepi entered the match in the 83rd minute and scored the winner in stoppage time to give PSV a 3-2 victory over 10-man Sevilla on Wednesday.
“To be honest, when I saw that we were scoring the 2-2 goal, I spoke to (teammate) Patrick (van Aanholt) and said, ‘This is our moment,'” Pepi said. “We felt it was a vital goal, and we knew the winner was coming. “
The Dutch club secured qualification after Group B leader Arsenal routed third-place Lens 6-0 in London.
PSV has 8 points, 4 behind Arsenal and 3 ahead of Lens, who lost the tie-break against PSV.
Sevilla were left with two problems and were eliminated. They will fight for third place (and a position in the Europa League) when they face Lens in the last round. This is the third consecutive season that the Spanish club has failed to make it past the next phase. the organization stage.
“In the Champions League, the small details will make the difference,” said veteran defender Sergio Ramos, who scored the 10,000th goal in Champions League history from group stage to final. “We were in control but going a man down turned out to be crucial.”
It’s PSV’s first away win in the Champions League since 2007. PSV won back-to-back matches at the festival (not including the knockout stages) for the first time since the 2006-07 season, when they won 3 consecutive matches in the organisation phase. quarter-finals, when they eliminated Liverpool. PSV had beaten Lens in the last round.
Sevilla opened the scoring in the minute with Ramos scoring his first goal since returning to Sevilla.
Youssef En-Nesyri doubled the lead in the 47th, but PSV rallied after Sevilla striker Lucas Ocampos was sent off with a second yellow card in the 66th for a dangerous slip tackle.
Ismael Saibari brought the visitors closer two minutes later with an adorable left-footed shot from the box after a cross from U. S. defender Sergiño Dest, and PSV equalized with an own goal from Nemanja Gudelj in the 81st minute before Pepi scored from Nemanja Gudelj. With a header from near the penalty spot, two minutes after stoppage time.
Sevilla midfielder Fernando was sent off in the final minutes.
The hosts had several things to extend their lead in the first half, first when Djibril Sow had a goal disallowed via video review for handball in the 39th minute, and then a minute later when En-Nesyri hit the crossbar with a dangerous header. . .
The 37-year-old Ramos scored the milestone 10,000th goal after a free kick taken by Ivan Rakitic. It was the veteran defender’s first goal with Sevilla since he scored in a 2-2 draw against Real Madrid in 2005, before he joined the Spanish powerhouse.
“We have to keep our heads high,” Ramos said. “But it’s disappointing, because it’s not always that you can be part of this competition. It was a tough loss for the club today.”
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