PSV have reached the final of the Otten Innovation Cup after beating English side Chelsea 3–1.
PSV defender Brent Jonkers is delighted to have reached the final: ‘We knew Chelsea were a very good team with a lot of quality, but we also know what we are capable of, so we were confident of getting a good result.’
Solid defence
PSV had things well organised defensively: ‘We knew Chelsea were very good going forward and could also be very dangerous on the counter-attack. We had to find a way to deal with that and make sure their striker didn't get on the ball. We did a good job of that.’ PSV pressed high and followed Chelsea closely, which regularly left the defence in one-on-one situations. Jonkers doesn't see that as a major problem though: ‘You have to be fully focused, but if you do it well, you can also win the ball back quickly and keep putting pressure on the opposition, so in that respect, it's a bit of give and take.’
Higher level
Jonkers also regularly trains and plays with Jong PSV. He said: ‘You notice that the level at Jong PSV is even higher. You also see that opponents there often only need one chance, as we saw yesterday as well. But I'm also very happy to be able to play here.’
Great goals
PSV scored three excellent goals against Chelsea to reach the final and Jonkers thought Soudais El Hadj Dani's opening goal was the best of the three: ‘They were all great goals, but that was a really good long-range effort. He really deserves it, so I'm very happy for him.’
Another meeting with Palmeiras
Palmeiras await PSV in the final tomorrow. PSV had previously lost 3–1 to the Brazilian side in their final group-stage match, but Jonkers explained that he knows what needs to improve: ‘We need to be better defensively tomorrow. We have to close down the centre better, and our pressing needs to be better too. We can also improve our runs in behind in that match.’
The match against Palmeiras is scheduled for 14:00 tomorrow. Then we'll find out which of the two teams will lift the Otten Innovation Cup.