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Hiddink happy to break hoodoo

PSV Eindhoven coach Guus Hiddink was pleased to break an unwanted trend after his side battled to a 1-0 win against FC Schalke 04 in the Netherlands.

PSV Eindhoven claimed a battling 1-0 victory over FC Schalke 04 in their opening UEFA Champions League Group E match at the Philips stadium. Guus Hiddink's side claimed the three points thanks to a powerful first-half header from Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, but were forced to battle hard to survive a sustained second-half onslaught from their German opponents.

Guus Hiddink, PSV coach
I am extremely satisfied because we usually make bad starts so this is a move in the right direction. We played robustly despite the changes in the team this season and the defence was well organised. Schalke were stronger in the second half and used a lot of force and power because of the extra forward. We lost possession too quickly and only had one chance ourselves in the second half.

Ralf Rangnick, Schalke coach
I'm disappointed. I didn't think we were aggressive enough and didn't put enough pressure on PSV. They scored with their only opportunity in the first half, and in the second we made some chances but it was not enough. There was only a small difference between the teams and I think the reason we lost was because we were too nervous and allowed PSV to play their own game.

Michael Reiziger, PSV defender
I was satisfied with the first half although the second was more difficult when Schalke played their own game and put pressure on our goal. We know the strength of German players and we expected them to come on strong, so it was not a surprise to us. It was disappointing that we didn't make it 2-0 but I have deep respect for Schalke, they have a good midfield and this is the reason they were second in Germany last year.

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