PSV Eindhoven clawed back to earn a valuable 1-1 draw against Bayer Leverkusen in their Champions League clash on Wednesday night, recovering swiftly after gifting the hosts a soft opener at the BayArena.
A costly defensive lapse in the 65th minute saw PSV captain Jerdy Schouten misplace a back pass that caught teammate Armando Obispo flat-footed.
The error allowed 19-year-old Christian Kofane, making his first Champions League start, to pounce and score from close range.
The Dutch champions, however, were quick to respond. Just seven minutes later, Guus Til carved open Leverkusen’s defence with a neat pull-back, setting up Ismael Saibari to smash in a thunderous equaliser that left the home crowd stunned.
Leverkusen had earlier been denied by the woodwork when Alejandro Grimaldo struck the upright inside 11 minutes, while Ernest Poku’s lively runs troubled PSV’s backline throughout the first half.
The visitors thought they had snatched an early lead of their own when Ivan Perisic nodded in Dennis Man’s cross, only for VAR to rule the Croatian veteran narrowly offside.
Both sides showed plenty of attacking intent, though clear-cut chances proved scarce after the break. Perisic flashed wide just before halftime, and in the dying stages Grimaldo again came close to sealing victory for the Bundesliga leaders, but PSV goalkeeper Matej Kovar stood tall to deny him.
The result leaves Leverkusen with two draws from two group-stage fixtures, following their stalemate in Copenhagen, while PSV collected their first point after a shock home defeat to Union Saint-Gilloise last month.
Attention now turns to October 21, when Leverkusen host defending champions Paris Saint-Germain and PSV welcome Napoli to Eindhoven.
