Sevilla, despite a 2-0 loss in Eindhoven, advanced to the Europa League knockout stage on Thursday, qualifying for the last 16 after PSV failed to overturn the deficit from the first leg at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán. The Dutch side had argued for a 3-0 victory in the opening clash, but the return leg at their home venue did not unfold as hoped.
This result left Sevilla advancing, yet the late stages of the match brought tension as control was maintained for long spells before the final twists of fate.
Luuk de Jong opened the scoring for PSV in the 77th minute, with Fabio Silva adding a second in extra time, thrilling the Eindhoven crowd and intensifying emotions at the end of the first half as Sevilla defended with grit and PSV chased a miracle.
The Spanish side and the Dutch club have struggled domestically this season in their respective leagues. Sevilla aimed to distance themselves from relegation worries, while PSV, eyeing the league title, treated the continental competition as a chance to recapture joy on the road to bigger trophies.
The Sevilla coach, Jorge Sampaoli, has often delivered a more assertive performance on the road, a fact evident in the opening exchanges when the visitors looked to set the tempo. Sevilla carried that intent into the tie, as they began with purpose and sought to translate early pressure into a solid lead in the aggregate score.
Meanwhile, Ruud van Nistelrooy’s team showed resilience away from home and created opportunities in Eindhoven to demonstrate their strength, though the task of turning the round into a victory proved challenging for them over the course of the match.
A spectator’s protest interrupted proceedings when a supporter ran onto the pitch, momentarily breaking the rhythm of the game and drawing attention away from the on-field drama. Dmitrovic, Sevilla’s goalkeeper through a week marked by defensive concerns, watched as Benítez stood in for the home side in a match that tested both sides’ resolve.
The early phase saw PSV press with intent, keeping Sevilla near their own goal and looking to seize control. The home team found a window when Brazilian full-back Alex Telles delivered a sharp free kick, meeting the cross of Marcos Acuña before Youssef En-Nesyri arrived in a bid to clear danger for Sevilla.
Not much else happened in the opening 30 minutes, aside from a misstep by Dmitrovic that Xavi Simons could not capitalise on, and a string of attempts by Bryan Gil that failed to convert into a decisive moment for Sevilla.
After the break, the youngster continued to push the pace, offering a diagonal strike and a precise pass that fed En-Nesyri, who tested the home goalkeeper. PSV responded with urgency, trying to regain the initiative as Sevilla pressed to protect a narrow aggregate lead.
PSV’s pressure intensified shortly after the restart, with multiple opportunities arriving in quick succession. The Dutch side pressed forward, and De Jong’s header opportunities increased the danger around the Sevilla goal, while Dmitrovic watched closely as the visitors faced the renewed onslaught.
Sevilla’s defense remained compact, but Ruiz Bakayoko from Belgium and the quick counter from Johan Bakayoko provided PSV with moments of hope. The crossbar denied a Rakitic effort for Sevilla, who remained dangerous on the break but could not seal a quicker return to parity in the tie.
As the match moved into the later stages, PSV finally drew level on the night with a well-executed strike from De Jong in the 77th minute, and the atmosphere grew even tenser as De Jong added another goal, only to see it ruled offside by Fábio Silva who had entered the action and contributed to the late-stage pressure. The momentum then shifted again as Silva scored in extra time to put PSV ahead on aggregate, stretching the narrative into dramatic added time.
The game’s dramatic crescendo paused briefly after the final whistle when a spectator again interrupted the action, and security intervened as matters cooled and the final whistle sounded on a night of intense emotions for both teams.
Data sheet:
2 – PSV Eindhoven: Benítez; Mwene, Ramalho, Branthwaite, Van Aanholt (Fábio Silva, min. 62); Til, Veerman, Gutierrez (Mauro Júnior, min. 62); Bakayoko, Luuk de Jong and Simons.
0 – Sevilla: Dmitrovic; Jesus Navas (Montiel, min. 79), Nianzou, Fernando, Alex Telles, Acuña; Óliver Torres (Suso, min. 68), Jordán, Rakitic, Bryan Gil (Rafa Mir, min. 86); En-Nesyri (Okampos, min. 68).
Goals: 1-0, min. 77: De Jong. 2-0, min. 95: Fabio Silva.
Referee: Daniele Orsato (Italy). In the 96th minute, Sevilla issued a red card for protest, with Pablo Fernández dismissed, and Mauro Júnior (min. 97) also cautioned. Additional cautions were shown to Acuña (min. 33), Nianzou (79), Dmitrovic (82) and Rafa Mir (92) for Sevilla, and Mwene (84) and Simons (96) for PSV.
The match was staged at the Philips Stadion in Eindhoven, attracting around 30,000 spectators, including a thousand Sevilla supporters, as the Europa League round of 16 tie reached its decisive stage.