PSV Eindhoven will aim to continue their perfect start to the domestic season and strengthen their position at the top of the Eredivisie table on Wednesday, when they welcome Go Ahead Eagles to the Philips Stadion.
The hosts are one of just two sides to have won their opening five league outings so far this term, while their visitors sit sixth thanks to an impressive start of their own.
Match preview
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After finishing second in the Eredivisie last season, seven points behind champions Feyenoord, PSV Eindhoven headed into the new campaign under the new management of Peter Bosz with optimism and the aim of going one better and winning their 25th Dutch top-flight title and a first since 2018.
They have enjoyed a dream start in that bid, as the Boeren head into Wednesday's game with 15 points on the board from their five outings thus far, having scored 17 goals in those matches while only conceding once in the Eredivisie.
The campaign began with 2-0 and 3-1 victories over FC Utrecht and Vitesse respectively, in the midst of a successful Champions League qualifying bid as Bosz's men got past Sturm Graz and Rangers in two-legged ties to reach the group stage of Europe's premier competition, before making it three top-flight victories on the bounce by thrashing RKC Waalwijk 4-0 away from home prior to the recent international break, as Joey Veerman, Noa Lang, Luuk de Jong and Malik Tillman all found the net.
The Boeren picked up where they left off on their return to action in mid-September, thrashing NEC 4-0 thanks to a De Jong brace and goals from Lang and Ricardo Pepi, before they most recently bounced back from a 4-0 defeat of their own to Arsenal in their opening Champions League group-stage game by making it three league victories by the same scoreline on the bounce, hitting four unanswered goals away at Almere City through Guus Til, Hirving Lozano, Veerman and Pepi.
With that Champions League loss to the English title-chasers being their only setback so far this season, and having instantly bounced back in style at the weekend, PSV Eindhoven are bound to be full of confidence and will aim to strengthen their position at the top of the Eredivisie with a sixth straight win and another clean sheet on home turf.
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They meet a Go Ahead Eagles side who will hope to extend a positive start of their own, with the visitors currently sat sixth at this early stage after their 11th-placed finish last time around.
Aiming to consolidate their mid-table status and push for continued improvement, Rene Hake's side did have to endure a losing start, as they were beaten 5-1 away at current joint-leaders AZ Alkmaar, but they have not suffered another defeat in four further outings since, firstly thrashing Volendam 4-1 on home turf courtesy of goals from Bas Kuipers, Oliver Valaker Edvardsen, Willum Thor Willumsson and Philippe Rommens.
The pride of the IJssel followed that up with another three-point haul before the international break, beating Heerenveen 3-2 with Kuipers and Rommens again on the scoresheet alongside Sylla Sow, before adding another point to their tally on their return to action, drawing 1-1 away at PEC Zwolle thanks to Edvardsen's 70th-minute equaliser, despite playing almost the entirety of the second half with 10 men following Jamal Amofa's red card.
Such a result left Hake's men on seven points from their opening four outings heading into last weekend's meeting with Fortuna Sittard, and they extended their fine run in style, dishing out a 3-0 beating at De Adelaarshorst as Edvardsen opened the scoring in the first half and Sow and Rommens again found the net late on.
Now full of optimism from their strong start, Go Ahead Eagles will aim to crack the top five and extend their unbeaten run to five league games on Wednesday but face an unenviable test away at the other of the division's two perfect records, after the thrashing at the hands of AZ on the opening day.
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Team News
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PSV Eindhoven do not come into Wednesday's match with any fresh injury concerns, as defenders Mauro Junior, Armando Obispo and Fredrik Oppegard remain the only ongoing absentees, and Bosz may be tempted to deploy an unchanged starting XI from their 4-0 beating of Almere City at the weekend in his preferred 4-3-3 shape.
Experienced forward Luuk de Jong will continue to lead the line, having already notched up nine goals in all competitions so far this season, including four in the Eredivisie, while there is competition to join him up front, with Noa Lang likely to get the nod on the left having managed three goals in four league appearances since his summer arrival from Club Brugge, while Ricardo Pepi will hope to earn a starting berth after scoring off the bench in back-to-back top-flight matches.
Pepi and Johan Bakayoko will both bid to displace Hirving Lozano, who also got on the scoresheet on Saturday, while Joey Veerman and Guus Til will continue to play key roles in midfield following Ibrahim Sangare's departure for Nottingham Forest at the beginning of the month, with Sergino Dest, Andre Ramalho, Olivier Boscagli and Patrick van Aanholt bound to line up in an unchanged back four.
Go Ahead Eagles may also look to come in with an unchanged starting XI following their own win at the weekend, with attacker Finn Stokkers remaining the only enforced absentee, although Hake does have a decision to make at the back, with Jamal Amofa returning to contention after serving a suspension last time out for his red card in their draw with PEC Zwolle.
Amofa may have to wait for a return to the pitch, though, with Joris Kramer and Gerrit Nauber more likely to partner up in the middle of their defence following their clean sheet in the win over Fortuna Sittard, while Evert Linthorst should again join key man Philippe Rommens at the base of the midfield.
At the top end of the pitch, Sylla Sow certainly has a claim to start after scoring off the bench again on Friday, and he could displace Bobby Adekanye on the right wing and join Willum Thor Willumsson and Oliver Valaker Edvardsen in a supporting trio behind lone striker Victor Edvardsen, who will continue his search for a first goal of the season.
PSV Eindhoven possible starting lineup:
Benitez; Dest, Ramalho, Boscagli, Van Aanholt; Til, Schouten, Veerman; Lozano, De Jong, Lang
Go Ahead Eagles possible starting lineup:
De Lange; Deijl, Nauber, Kramer, Kuipers; Linthorst, Rommens; Sow, Willumsson, O Edvardsen; V Edvardsen
We say: PSV Eindhoven 3-1 Go Ahead Eagles
Go Ahead Eagles will travel with some confidence, but PSV Eindhoven are playing at their best with plenty of momentum on their side, and we see Bosz's men being far too strong on home turf for their visitors and scoring another three-point haul in dominant fashion.
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