Rostov-on-Don (Russia) (AFP) – On their home Champions League group phase debut Russia’s Rostov were twice pegged back in an action-packed first-half as PSV Eindhoven grabbed a 2-2 draw on Wednesday.
Dmitri Poloz put the Russian rookies ahead twice in the eighth and 37th minutes as they took the game to PSV, who on their own 100th Champions League appearance equalised first through Davy Propper on 14 and then Luuk De Jong on the stroke of half time.
Propper could then have sealed the match on 57 minutes but ‘keeper Soslan Dzhanaev saved his spot-kick after Cesar Navas had brought down de Jong in the area.
These two sides both lost on matchday one, with Rostov being thumped 5-0 at Bayern Munich while PSV lost 1-0 at home to Atletico Madrid.
Originally a farm machinery factory side, Rostov are still playing in their modest 15,000 capacity stadium.
Runners-up in Russia last season, Rostov however looked as impressive early on as when they beat PSV’s Dutch foes Ajax 4-1 in the play-offs for a 5-2 aggregate win.
Poloz scored Rostov’s first ever goal at home in the competition proper, slotting home after being well served by Aleksandr Erokhin in the eighth minute.
Propper’s shot for the equaliser six minutes later took a deflection that left Dzhanaev wrong-footed and silenced the stadium.
But after fine work in the air from 21-year-old Iranian striker Sardar Azmoun, Poloz hammered home his second after 37 minutes with a fine volley from the edge of the penalty area.
A close range de Jong header after the ball had hit the post in a goalmouth scramble then levelled the scores at 2-2 on the stroke of half-time.
PSV, the 1988 European Cup winners may be happy with a point but have not won on their travels in the Champions League proper since defeating CSKA Moscow in Russia in 2007/08.
