PSV Eindhoven make the journey to the Abe Lenstra Stadion on Sunday afternoon to square up against Heerenveen in the penultimate fixture of gameweek nine of the 2022-23 Eredivisie campaign.
Both teams have had mixed results in recent weeks and will be looking to put together a good run of form as the season progresses into its second quarter.
Match preview
© Reuters
PSV Eindhoven claimed their first Europa League victory in grand style as they demolished FC Zurich 5-1 at the Letzigrund Stadion on Thursday.
Yorbe Vertessen and Cody Gakpo starred for Ruud van Nistelrooy's men with two goals apiece, while Xavi Simons also got in on the act before Jonathan Okita pulled one back late on.
That came off the back of a 3-0 defeat to Cambuur for the Rood-Witten, who have now dropped to third place in the Eredivisie standings as a result.
Up next is the challenge of an opposing outfit without a victory in any of the last eight meetings between the teams stretching back to 2018.
Having suffered consecutive league defeats away from home leading up to Sunday's contest, the visitors now set out to pick up where they left off on the continental front last time out.
Heerenveen had to settle for a share of the spoils in Sunday's meeting against FC Emmen at De Oude Meerdijk, which ended in a goalless stalemate.
Despite having the lion's share of the ball, Kees van Wonderen's men were unable to find the all-important breakthrough needed to turn one point into three.
Nonetheless, De Superfriezen remain sixth in the league table, five points adrift of this weekend's opponents ahead of what promises to be an absorbing affair.
With just two goals conceded in four home matches this term, Sunday's hosts have proven themselves to be a tough nut to crack in front of their fans.
Team News
© Reuters
PSV's Noni Madueke continues to battle with an ankle injury, while Netherlands international Luuk de Jong is yet to shake off a calf problem.
Twenty-four-year-old Olivier Boscagli is also unavailable for the visitors due to a long-term knee injury which has kept him out of action since April.
Following his impressive display against Zurich, Cody Gakpo has now been directly involved in 22 goals this season - the joint most of any player in European football so far alongside Erling Braut Haaland.
Tibor Halilovic will be pushing for a place in the Heerenveen starting lineup here having made his return to action from a two-game suspension against Emmen.
Joost van Aken was absent from the aforementioned game and it remains to be seen whether the defender will be fit enough to play a part in this one.
Heerenveen possible starting lineup:
Noppert; Kohlert, Van Ottele, Bochniewicz, Van Beek, Van Ewijk; Tahiri, Haye, Olsson; Sarr, Van Hooijdonk
PSV Eindhoven possible starting lineup:
Benitez; Max, Obispo, Ramalho, Mwene; Veerman, Sangare; Gakpo, Simons, Saibari; Vertessen
We say: Heerenveen 1-3 PSV Eindhoven
Buoyed by their emphatic victory in midweek, PSV will be full of confidence heading into Sunday's encounter and we fancy them to breeze past the challenge of Heerenveen in a relatively comfortable manner.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
