Marcellis resigned to PSV's destiny

PSV were fighting a losing battle against Inter

While there was obviously disappointment in the PSV Eindhoven camp after the 1-0 home defeat by FC Internazionale Milano, there was also general acceptance that qualification from the group stages was just too big an ask this time round.

"We knew beforehand that no matter what we did we may not go through, because deep down we expected Fenerbahçe [SK] to win [against PFC CSKA Moskva]," said Dirk Marcellis, PSV's 19-year-old Dutch defender. "So in that respect it wasn't a great surprise." Coach Jan Wouters all but raised the white flag when he substituted both Jefferson Farfán and Ibrahim Afellay, his side's most creative front men, midway through the second half, but Wouters is nothing if not a realist, and already knowing that the Turkish champions were ahead in Istanbul, he decided to think ahead and spare his players for Sunday's crucial confrontation with Eredivisie leaders AFC Ajax.

Not surprisingly, the red card for Edison Méndez after 28 minutes changed the complexion of the game. "After that, there wasn't really much we could do," said Danish international Kenneth Perez, who came on as a second-half substitute. "Even when we had eleven men we knew it would be difficult, despite Inter missing a number of first-choice players, but with ten our chance was realistically gone."