PSV fight back to defeat Debrecen

PSV Eindhoven came from behind to defeat Debreceni VSC 2-1 in Budapest and remain top of UEFA Europa League Group I.

Debrecen went in front in a chilly Ferenc Puskás Stadium when Mirsad Mijadinoski fired in on 35 minutes, but PSV took just five minutes to equalise when Orlando Engelaar finished a slick move. The visitors dominated the second half, yet it took until the 66th minute before the Hungarian side's resistance was finally broken in fortuitous fashion by Balázs Dzsudzsák.

Debrecen, content to let PSV control possession, comfortably contained their more illustrious opponents for most of the first half. Indeed they went closest to opening the scoring when an inswinging corner from Péter Czvitkovics on 25 minutes ricocheted off Mijadinoski and on to the left post.

The same players were involved in the opening goal. Czvitkovics swung in a dangerous free-kick which bounced back off Marcelo in the box to Mijadinoski who this time stroked the ball past Andreas Isaksson for Debrecen's first goal in the competition. PSV's retaliation was swift and lethal. Engelaar ran on to a Marcus Berg back-heel and lifted the ball over the advancing Mindaugas Malinauskas for the equaliser.

PSV upped the tempo on the restart. Former Debrecen hero Balázs Dzsudzsák forced a full-length save from Malinauskas on 46 minutes while Wilfred Bouma, alone in the penalty area, directed a header straight at the Lithuanian goalkeeper soon after. Captain Ibrahim Afellay was the next to be denied, although the pressure finally paid dividends in the 66th minute when Erik Pieters' cross deflected off the back of Dzsudzsák's head and looped in at the far post.

The Dutch club never looked like relinquishing their lead – indeed Afellay went close to extending it after 76 minutes when firing a ferocious left-foot strike just over – and the win moves them on to seven points ahead of the return fixture in a fortnight.