This morning, day 2 of the Otten Innovation Cup kicked off early. Before the matches resumed, the already present visitors had the opportunity to explore the specially arranged FANZone and take photos with the Red Bull showcar.
At 10:00 AM, the kickoff for the first two matches of the day took place. After their success yesterday, PSV couldn’t add another 3 points to their tally as Brazilian side Red Bull Bragantino took a daring lead in their encounter. PSV managed to equalize in the final phase of the match. On the other field, Anderlecht lost 2-1 to a slightly more mature Atletico Madrid.
At 11:30 AM, Manchester United faced Paris St Germain on the main field. The English side came out on top with a 2-0 victory, clearly outplaying the young French team. Meanwhile, on Field 1, Benfica SL and FC Copenhagen squared off. In a closely contested match, the Danish team managed to score and secured a 1-0 win.
The last match of the second round saw FC Utrecht take on Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC. The disciplined Koreans scored midway through the first half to go up 1-0. After this goal, FC Utrecht struggled to take control of the game, while Jeonbuk was content with their lead.
The standings after the second round showed that, apart from Anderlecht and Paris St Germain, every team still had a chance to reach the top 4.
PSV kicked off the third round with a match against Manchester United. Both teams needed a win to secure a spot in the top 4. PSV took the initiative in the first half, but neither side could find the net. In the second half, PSV took the lead through Robin van Duiven. Despite pressure from Manchester United, who created several good chances, PSV held on to their lead and secured a place among the top 4 teams. At the same time, Red Bull Bragantino faced Anderlecht. The well-organized Red Bull team took a 1-0 lead in the first half. Anderlecht equalized with a penalty midway through the second half, but Red Bull quickly regained the lead. This 2-1 victory for the Brazilians meant they would finish tied with PSV in the standings.
The next two matches featured Atletico Madrid versus Paris St Germain and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC against Benfica SL. A win for Jeonbuk would have put them at the top of the standings, but it was Benfica that dominated, earning a 3-0 victory. Atletico Madrid and Paris St Germain produced a goal-filled encounter, with Gabriel Suarez scoring a hat-trick in a 5-2 win for Atletico. As a result, Atletico secured third place in the standings, behind PSV and Red Bull Bragantino.
The final match of the day was between FC Copenhagen and FC Utrecht. Both teams were evenly matched, and the game ended in a 1-1 draw. As a result, both teams finished tied and had to settle their standings with a penalty shootout. FC Copenhagen emerged victorious with a 4-1 win in the shootout, securing 6th place, while FC Utrecht finished 7th.
After all the matches, it’s clear that PSV and Red Bull Bragantino are tied, meaning they will have to compete in a penalty shootout tomorrow before the semifinals to determine who plays whom in the crossover matches.
Tomorrow promises to be another intense day for the teams, with semifinals for places 1 through 4 and 5 through 8, while the match for 9th and 10th place will be between Anderlecht and Paris St Germain.