EINDHOVEN, Netherlands (Reuters) – PSV Eindhoven’s Luciano Narsingh struck a second-half winner as they fought back to claim a 2-1 victory against a Manchester United side who lost Luke Shaw to a double leg fracture in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Left back Shaw was taken off on a stretcher with an oxygen mask strapped to his face after suffering the injury to his right leg in the early stages of the Group B game.
The match looked to be heading United’s way and their close-season signing from PSV, Memphis Depay, reminded fans at the Philips Stadium of his prowess with a superb 41st-minute opener.
The hosts, however, caught United napping at a corner in first-half stoppage time as Hector Moreno, whose crunching tackle had forced Shaw to leave the pitch, equalised before a swift breakaway set up the 57th-minute winner.
“We are dominating the game, we are creating chances and we are not finishing. The first chance they have, the corner kick, they scored,” said United manager Louis van Gaal.
“The second goal, we were attacking and then we lose the ball in the first phase and they scored. It’s fantastic for PSV but for us it is very bad.”
PSV manager Phillip Cocu told a news conference: “We displayed some good football at times but mostly we fought hard. We kept fighting after going behind, fighting to create chances.
“They play so easily, you just don’t get many chances against United. But we took ours. The supporters were fantastic. Together they took us over the winning line.”
Depay Welcomed
United took the game to PSV with the 21-year-old Depay, warmly welcomed back by the home supporters, and newly-signed former AS Monaco forward Anthony Martial looking dangerous in a two-pronged attack.
Depay’s pass set up Martial, the world’s most expensive teenager, for what should have been a tap-in from close range after seven minutes but the French youngster failed to put enough force into the effort.
Shaw’s injury came after 15 minutes when a burst of acceleration put him through on goal before he was halted by Moreno’s poor challenge, which went unpunished. The match was halted for eight minutes as medics put Shaw on a stretcher and took him off the pitch.
Depay’s goal was a breathtaking display of footwork, set up by fellow Dutchman Daley Blind, who was jeered throughout the game because of his previous connection to Ajax Amsterdam. As the match went into a lengthy period of stoppage time at the end of the first half, Moreno rose to head home a corner, with Blind helping the ball into his own net.
United dominated the exchanges in the second half but were caught out by a sucker punch early on as they pressed high up the pitch.
A searching pass from Andres Guardado in midfield found Maxime Lestienne out on the left and his perfect cross eluded the visiting defence to allow Narsingh to stoop and head home.
Juan Mata should have equalised for United just after the hour mark but let a brilliant lofted pass from Bastian Schweinsteiger slip under his foot with the goal begging.