PSV Eindhoven return to Eredivisie action after a week off with a trip to RKC Waalwijk on Saturday night.
The league gave PSV a break to focus on their recent Champions League qualifier with Rangers, and it worked a treat, as they put right the wrongs from last season to progress.
Match preview
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The cancellation of their scheduled encounter with Go Ahead Eagles meant PSV were fresh for their second leg at home to Rangers on Wednesday, and they made the most of it.
After a 2-2 draw in Glasgow, PSV were ruthless in Eindhoven, thrashing Rangers 5-1 to book their spot in the Champions League group stages.
The draw on Thursday was favourable to them too, being drawn with Arsenal, back at this level following six years away, and Sevilla and Lens sides who have had awful starts to their respective seasons.
Despite playing only twice in the Eredivisie so far, the Rangers tie in midweek was PSV's seventh match of the season already.
A 7-3 aggregate win over Rangers came after a 7-2 win over Sturm Graz in the previous round, as well as a Super Cup win over Feyenoord, and back-to-back wins to start the domestic season.
An early scare at Vitesse did not bother Peter Bosz's men as they came from behind to win 3-1, before a comfortable 2-0 success over Utrecht.
After narrowly missing out on the Eredivisie's Europa Conference League playoffs last season by finishing ninth, a late falter has continued into this campaign for Waalwijk.
That horrific finish to the 2022-23 season saw Waalwijk lose their final three without scoring and letting in 11.
So far this time around, Heerenveen, AZ Alkmaar and NEC Nijmegen have capitalised on a crisis in confidence, and have all put three past Waalwijk in comfortable victories.
With PSV next up, things do not get much easier either, with Vitesse, Twente and Ajax all to come after the international break.
Unless Henk Fraser's men can spring a surprise somewhere, it is not unfathomable to think RKC may still be on zero points come mid-October.
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Team News
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Curacao international Godfried Roemeratoe remains out injured for Waalwijk and is their only current absentee.
Waalwijk are yet to score a goal from open play, but last season's top scorer Michiel Kramer has two, both of which came from the spot.
After reaching double figures in both of his two years at RKC so far, Kramer is one-fifth of the way there already and could be vital to them moving up the table in the weeks to come.
PSV welcomed Patrick van Aanholt back to the squad for the midweek win over Rangers, but the form of both Sergino Dest and Ismael Saibari on the left means he may struggle to get a look in.
The impressively versatile Mauro Junior is set to remain out with a knee injury, while Armando Obispo and Fredrik Oppegard are also currently sidelined.
Dest, along with Noa Lang and Jerdy Schouten, have integrated seamlessly into the side after their summer arrivals, and the trio should start again.
RKC Waalwijk possible starting lineup:
Vaessen; Lelieveld, Gaari, Bruma, Lutonda; Bakkali, Oukili, Felida; Cleonise; Min, Kramer
PSV Eindhoven possible starting lineup:
Benitez; Teze, Boscagli, Dest; Veerman, Schouten, Sangare, Saibari; Bakayoko, De Jong, Lang
We say: RKC Waalwijk 0-5 PSV Eindhoven
PSV have looked imperious and ruthless on all fronts so far this season, and reaching the Champions League group stages should only raise confidence.
Waalwijk have not enjoyed a positive start, and PSV are one of the last teams they would hope to face to turn their fortunes around against.
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