Luuk de Jong struck twice as PSV Eindhoven displayed dominance in the first half but had to dig deep to secure a 3-2 victory over Crvena Zvezda in a frosty Champions League clash at the Stadion Rajko Mitic on Tuesday.
Ryan Flamingo added a third goal for the Dutch side, but his early second-half dismissal shifted the momentum firmly in Red Star’s favour.
The home team capitalized with headed goals from Cherif Ndiaye and Nasser Djiga, but PSV held on to keep their playoff ambitions alive.
The win leaves them with 11 points from seven games, while Red Star, with just three points, are out of the race.
PSV took an early lead when De Jong connected with a Joey Veerman outswinging corner, directing a powerful header from 15 yards into the far corner.
De Jong then doubled the advantage, once again converting from a Veerman delivery.
The visitors added a third before the break, taking advantage of another corner.
Red Star’s attempted clearance fell to Flamingo at the edge of the box, and the center-back unleashed a thunderous volley into the net.
Flamingo’s fortunes turned sour just five minutes into the second half when he received a straight red card for bringing down Nemanja Radonjic on the edge of the box.
The referee ruled Flamingo was the last defender, leaving PSV to play with 10 men.
Sensing an opportunity, Zvezda mounted a spirited comeback. Ndiaye and Djiga both scored with headers to reduce the deficit, but despite relentless pressure in the closing stages, the home side failed to find an equalizer.
