Koevermans double sinks Marseille at PSV

Marseille coach Eric Gerets suffered a nightmare return to former club PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday as the Dutch beat the French club 2-0 to keep their slim Champions League hopes alive.

It was a gritty double from international striker Danny Koevermans that kept Gerets's side at the bottom of Group D, all but ending Marseille's chances of progressing any further.

With both teams pointless after two matches, the game unfolded cautiously in the first 15 minutes, with neither side eager to show their hand too early.

PSV coach Huub Stevens was delighted with his side's performance, saying it would give the team a much-needed confidence boost.

“I saw the team play with passion. We were disciplined, waiting for the right time to create chances,” he said.

“The goals came a little late but I'm satisfied. We wasted a lot of chances. My attackers are lacking a bit of confidence, but it's coming back slowly.”

Gerets, who played and managed PSV, was furious with his team's performance.

“There was a world of difference between the two sides. I was relieved when the game was over,” said Gerets.

“There were a lot of mistakes. We weren't fresh but these are not excuses. We haven't lost hope but we have to be realistic and if we have to concentrate on something it has to be the UEFA Cup (for the third place finishers in the groups).”

It was French youngster Hatem Ben Arfa who had the first effort on the Dutch goal on the 17th minute, driving in a long-range shot that lost its fizz by the time it arrived into the hands of Andreas Isaksson.

PSV's Otman Bakkal should have broke the deadlock seven minutes later when he burst into the Marseille box to deliver a firm low shot that Steve Mandanda desperately cleared with an outstretched leg.

A long-range Bakari Kone free-kick for the French side drifted wide, while at the other end of the pitch, Koevermans poked a shot tamely into Mandanda's hands.

It was goalless at half-time and these two sides, previous tournament winners, needed to pick up the tempo if they were to bank some points.

Stepping up the pace is exactly what the home side did, and within two minutes of the restart PSV had created the best chance of the game.

Bakkal latched onto a decisive pass from the midfield to send a deep cross which fooled the Marseille defence, with Ibrahim Afellay scuffing his shot over the bar.

Two minutes later, Bakkal sneaked into the right channel again to cross for Stijn Wuytens who squandered his effort.

Marseille were finding it difficult to match the urgency of their hosts, and sloppy defending in the 57th minute allowed Edison Mendez to whip in a cross from the right that Koevermans headed inches over the bar.

The hungrier side deservedly took the lead on the 71st minute mark, when a Mendez corner from the left saw Koevermans rising above Zubar to bullet a header into the top right-hand corner.

It was Mendez who set up the second, ghosting into the away side's vulnerable right flank to cross smartly for Koevermans, whose diving header gave Mandanda no chance.