PSV Eindhoven manager Peter Bosz was left frustrated after his side suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to RB Leipzig in the Champions League on Tuesday, believing his team had done enough to take something from the match.

A deflected second-half strike from Brajan Gruda proved decisive, while PSV were left to regret several missed opportunities, including Ivan Perišić’s saved penalty before half-time and Sven Mijnans’ clear chance after the break.

Despite the result, Bosz remained confident in his team and refused to blame his late substitutions, which included Champions League debuts for Ayoni Santos and Mikkel Bro Hansen.

Reflecting on the defeat, Bosz felt PSV had controlled significant periods of the contest, particularly during the opening half-hour, when his side showed composure in possession and looked capable of troubling the hosts.

“I still need to watch it all back, and sometimes that can give a slightly different perspective,” Bosz said, as relayed by PSV Watcher Rik Elfrink of Eindhovens Dagblad.

“I felt we had the upper hand for large parts of this match. The first 30 to 35 minutes belonged to us, though we struggled a bit as half-time approached. Leipzig had big chances, and so did we.

“We were more composed in our play, however, and managed to keep possession for longer periods. As for the chances that come your way? Well, you have to convert them. It’s a bitter pill to swallow, leaving here with a 1-0 loss caused by a deflected shot.”

Perišić’s failure to convert from the penalty spot and Mijnans’ missed opportunity in the second half left PSV without a reward for their attacking efforts.

Bosz introduced Santos and Bro Hansen during the closing stages, giving both players their first taste of Champions League football. However, he dismissed suggestions that his substitutions had failed to make the desired impact.

“It would be too easy to pin the blame on that. These are good players with real quality,” he said.

“Mikkel came close to scoring, and Ayoni could have been dangerous in a one-on-one situation. In my view, we should have already been leading before we went 1-0 down, not just from the penalty, but from open play as well.”

The PSV manager maintained that his side's performance offered encouragement despite the disappointment of leaving Leipzig empty-handed.

“Ultimately, I think we played well here,” Bosz added. “Not for the full ninety minutes yet. But it takes guts to dare to play football and build from the back here in their stadium.

“We did that very well at times, though naturally there are things that need to improve. Leipzig had chances, and we need to reward ourselves along the way. If they had pulled further ahead earlier, this defeat would have felt different.”

The defeat did little to shake Bosz’s belief in his squad. He felt PSV showed greater composure and experience in Leipzig and expects his players to reproduce that level more consistently.

“I knew we were capable of this. We played with a bit more experience tonight. I’m confident we can produce this level of performance more often,” he said, highlighting Mijnans’ contribution to the team's overall display.

Bosz also refused to judge the midfielder solely on his missed opportunity, while acknowledging that the chance should have been converted.

“You can't judge whether someone is capable of something based on a single action. Partly thanks to Sven, we were quick to get behind the ball in many situations tonight. Of course, he really should have converted that chance.”

Goalkeeper Matej Kovář was another major positive for PSV, producing several important saves to keep his side in contention. Bosz praised the goalkeeper’s form, revealing that he had also impressed during training the previous day.

“That might be standing out a bit more now,” Bosz said. “He was already keeping incredibly well in training yesterday, and we were hoping he hadn't used up all his best saves then. That clearly wasn't the case.”

Bosz was also pleased with Lutsharel Geertruida’s return from injury. The defender performed well during his first minutes back, particularly when dealing with Leipzig’s attacking threats in open spaces.

“These were his first minutes back after his injury, and he performed very well. He had to defend in large, open spaces and didn't follow his man into the midfield. That was the instruction, too.”

For Bosz, the result was a setback, but PSV’s performance offered reasons for confidence. His message was clear: the missed chances must be addressed, but neither individual mistakes nor the contributions of his young players should define the team's wider progress.