How PSV's missed penalty undermines the Champions League dream in Leipzig

On Tuesday evening at the Red Bull Arena, the Dutch national champion PSV were ready for a crucial European duel. A quarter of an hour before time, Ivan Perisic received the penalty tip, but his shot was saved by goalkeeper Maarten Vandevoordt just outside the goal. The missed shot meant that PSV left the match with a 0‑1 deficit, a result that puts their Champions‑League chances under pressure.

A chance that was not taken

The match started with promising moments for PSV; Brajan Gruda already found an opening in the 75th minute, but the ball struck Perisic's foot and resulted in a missed penalty. The German opponent, RB Leipzig, capitalised on the error and held the score until the end. Despite several chances, including shots from Ruben van Bommel and Sven Mijnans, the net remained unbreached.

Leipzig’s defence and the VAR decision

An early penalty for Leipzig, awarded after a handball by right‑back Ridle Baku, was confirmed by referee Nicholas Walsh after VAR consultation. The decision gave PSV a golden opportunity, but the penalty was missed. In the second half Leipzig increased the pressure and scored via Brajan Gruda, who accidentally let the ball hit Perisic and thus made the 1‑0 definitive.

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Players' reactions

Mauro Junior, the Brazilian and captain of PSV, expressed his disappointment: “I think we deserved more. We created enough chances, but you have to convert them at this level.” He continued: “It’s such a shame that the goal comes from a set‑piece situation. This is what we have trained on. It was my job to defend better, but I did not do that.” Despite the defeat he emphasized: “Now we have to keep our heads up towards the next match. We played a good game and showed good football.”

The match was labeled by the European press as an “EPA‑RBL‑duel” and received attention in both the Champions‑League and Europa‑League discussions. The result leaves PSV with a point loss in the “League” stage of their European campaign, raising the question whether they are still Champions‑League‑proof this season.