Luc de Jong scored a brace for 10-man PSV in a 3-2 win over Red Star Belgrade at a frozen Stadion Rajko Mitic in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Ryan Flamingo scored the Dutch club’s third goal, but when he was sent off early in the second half, the momentum swung home and they made it exciting through Cherif Ndiaye and Nasser Dziger headers.
PSV have held firm though, and are on course for the play-offs with 11 points from their seven matches. Red Star, meanwhile, are out of contention having managed just three points from the same number of fixtures.
PSV hit the front when De Jong rose to meet an outswinging corner from Joey Virman and curled his header into the far corner of the net from 15 yards. He added a second shortly after from another Birman corner.
The visitors got a third goal before half-time and again it came from a corner when defender Flamingo volleyed home a thunderous strike.
But Flamingo’s joy turned to disbelief when he received a straight red card five minutes into the second period after bringing down Nemanja Radonjic on the edge of the box.
Red Star felt they had a chance with a numerical advantage and pulled two goals back as Ndiaye and Dziga scored with headers, but despite heavy pressure in the final minutes, they could not find an equaliser.
PSV Eindhoven #CZVPSV #UCL pic.twitter.com/VhuHPx9UaB
— PSV (@PSV) January 21, 2025
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De Jong certainly has a knack for popping up when he’s needed most.
Nine of his last 11 Champions League goals have either drawn his side level (five) or scored one of their goals (four).
Tuesday’s game marked the third time he had both a goal and an assist in a game in the competition, the first since September 2016 vs. Rostov.
