PSV go return to Eredivisie action next Friday when Peter Bosz side welcome SC Heerenveen to Philips Stadium, with Ivan Perisic among the players expected to return from international duty. The match, scheduled for 8 p.m., brings an end to a lengthy international period during which several PSV players represented their countries.
For Perisic, the break ended on a difficult note with Croatia suffering two heavy defeats. Former PSV coach Aad de Mos believes the experienced winger will be pleased to return to Eindhoven, where he can operate in a role that better suits his strengths.
Croatia began the international period positively, beating Czech Republic 2-1. However, the results quickly turned sour. World champions Spain defeated Croatia 4-1 in Seville before England inflicted an even heavier defeat last weekend, winning 7-0 in Rijeka.
De Mos believes Perisic will welcome the return to PSV, particularly given the difference he sees between the current Croatian team and Bosz side. ‘It is a team that is stronger than the national team of Croatia at this moment. They are all older players who are on their last legs,’ De Mos said in a video item for Eindhovens Dagblad with PSV watcher Rik Elfrink. ‘Those English have knocked them out in an incredible way. Then you are glad to be back in the nest, where a lot of football is played.’
For De Mos, Perisic role against England also highlighted why the Croatian is better suited to playing further forward for PSV. Perisic was deployed as a left-back against England, a position that differs significantly from his usual role at PSV. De Mos believes that difference is important when assessing the 37-year-old impact. ‘Here he can dominate, and of course this is where he’s at his best,’ he said. ‘He played as a left-back against Saka, which is also a role he doesn’t have at Eindhoven.’
At PSV, Perisic has greater freedom to move forward and influence matches in the attacking half. De Mos pointed to the distance the winger can cover when pushing forward and the opportunities he has to deliver from wide areas. ‘Here he pushes forward forty to fifty meters. Then it’s giving four or five crosses, and for the rest it might be defending once or twice,’ De Mos explained, as quoted by PSV Inside.
The assessment underlines the contrast between Perisic responsibilities with Croatia and those he has at PSV. While international duty saw him asked to deal with one of England most dangerous attackers from a deeper position, his club role allows him to spend more time in advanced areas.
Lamine Yamal Reveals Special Connection With PSV Star Ivan Perišić After 4-1 Spain Victory. A halftime shirt swap fueled by parental duty and mutual respect highlights an unexpected bond between the teenage sensation and the veteran Croatian icon in Seville.
Perisic will now return to Eindhoven with PSV preparing for the resumption of their domestic campaign. Bosz side faces Heerenveen at the Philips Stadium next Friday, with the focus switching back to the Eredivisie after the international interruption. For Perisic, the fixture also offers a return to the role De Mos believes brings out the best in him: pushing forward, creating chances and influencing the game from a more advanced position.
England produced a dominant performance that will live long in the memory to defeat Croatia 7-0 in their Nations League tie in Rijeka. Thomas Tuchel side utterly overwhelmed their opponents. Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka scored two each but it was a stunning team performance that inflicted Croatia biggest defeat.
The skipper opened the scoring by firing high into the roof of the net early on after being well fed by Jude Bellingham before Anthony Gordon ingenuity engineered the second for Bellingham to score himself soon after. England were rampant from the outset. The excellent Gordon had chances of his own before making it three. There had been some disquiet that Jarell Quansah had been preferred to Trent Alexander-Arnold but the Bayer Leverkusen man whipped in a quality cross for the Barcelona winger to nod in a third. When Bellingham set up Bukayo Saka for the fourth before the break, Slaven Bilic looked shocked. Although Mateo Kovacic did miss a sitter, the score did not flatter England.
Croatia captain Luka Modric said he felt ‘ashamed’ of his side performance in Saturday 7-0 defeat at home to England in the Nations League. It was the first time in 20 years as an international that the AC Milan midfielder said he had felt such emotion, describing it as a ‘catastrophic night’. Modric, 41, was making his 205th appearance for his country after recently agreeing to extend his international career under returning manager Slaven Bilic. ‘You can’t play football like that. We looked like we had four or five players less,’ said the former Real Madrid player. ‘It is difficult to find an explanation for such a performance without duels, fouls, aggressiveness, togetherness. I’ve been here for 20 years, but for the first time I feel ashamed after a game.’
Croatia kicked off Bilic second spell with a 2-1 Nations League win away to the Czech Republic that put them above England in Group A3. They followed that up with a chastening 4-1 defeat away to world champions Spain but were still level on points with Thomas Tuchel Three Lions before Saturday humiliating loss in Rijeka. With the top two qualifying for the latter stages, Croatia had the chance to put themselves in pole position to beat England to a place in the quarter-finals. Yet by the time Modric was substituted in the 57th minute, the home side were already 5-0 down after conceding two goals from Harry Kane and one apiece from Jude Bellingham, Anthony Gordon and Bukayo Saka. Modric was forced to watch from the sidelines as further goals from Saka and Morgan Rogers extended England advantage before the final whistle.
‘You can lose, or play against an opponent who is better – and they are right now,’ added Modric. ‘But in any case, losing like this and squandering the reputation we’ve built over the years is unacceptable. It was a catastrophic night for Croatia.’ It does not get any easier for Croatia, who next host Spain in Split on Tuesday, and will finish their Nations League campaign with games away to England on 12 November and at home to the Czech Republic on 15 November. ‘We need to pull ourselves together, stay together because a new difficult game awaits us,’ said Modric, with Croatia third in the table, facing a battle to retain their status in the top tier of the Nations League. ‘We have to show our true colours, that there is defiance and pride in us, desire, willingness, togetherness, these things cannot be lost overnight.’
England head coach Thomas Tuchel speaking to ITV Sport said: ‘Maybe there were three minutes after 3-0 where we had a big mistake and some easy ball losses but that was a 90-minute performance on a high level from everyone, from the first minute to the last minute, from everyone who started to everyone who came off the bench. It was the highest level and congratulations to the team. On an away pitch, very, very impressive. We created so many chances. We were so fluid from the start.’
Roy Keane speaking on ITV said: ‘Everything you would want. A complete performance in possession. Goal threat. Scored the seven goals. Kept a clean sheet. Hunting in packs when they lost the ball. England were clinical as well. Excellent. All the plaudits have to go to England. They were fantastic. Bellingham can go on to become one of the greatest players of all time. There’s still a lot more to come from him. He’s a huge leader for England.’
