The contestants
After a great start, PSV haven't been at their best recently. A 3-2 away defeat to FC Twente and the ensuing international break killed off any momentum the reigning champions had, and PSV have now lost three of their last five games across all competitions.
Tuesday's impressive 1-0 away win at FC Porto might've been key to reigniting the spark, and what would be a better statement win than beating league leaders Feyenoord at home?
The Rotterdam side have started the season excellently. Slip-ups at home to Go Ahead Eagles and ADO Den Haag were the only faults in the Eredivisie so far, with Giovanni van Bronckhorst's men on 23 points from nine games, while boasting the league's best attack (31 goals scored) and joint-best defence (10 goals conceded).
Downing challengers AZ at home earlier in October was a big plus, but Feyenoord have struggled in Europe against bigger opponents and lost 1-0 to Real Betis on Wednesday. Could they hand champions PSV their second home defeat in a year's time?
The key players
Guus Til has been somewhat of a saviour for PSV this season. With strikers Ricardo Pepi and Alassane Plea injured, Til and the suspended Sven Mijnans have acted as de facto strikers and done an admirable job. Til is on 5 goals and an assist in the Eredivisie this season, giving the Eindhoven side a welcome offensive boost.
In the back, Lutsharel Geertruida has been massive since joining on loan from RB Leipzig, adding experience next to Armando Obispo. The former Feyenoord captain scored a crucial goal in the away game at Ajax, while he saved PSV from dropping points at Porto with a goal-line clearance.
Choices aplenty for Feyenoord, but credit has to go to Anis Hadj Moussa and Nacho Ferri. Hadj Moussa leads Feyenoord from the right wing, averaging an 8.2 Flashscore rating with five goals and an assist in his first five games, while Nacho has been firing on all cylinders with six goals in his last four Eredivisie games.
The question marks
PSV are missing several key players. Sven Mijnans is suspended after being sent off in the 2-1 loss to ADO Den Haag, while Ruben van Bommel, back in training on Friday, is questionable after missing the games against Porto and ADO.
Ricardo Pepi returned to group training on Friday, along with Sami Ouaissa, Kiliann Sildillia, Sam Lammers and Van Bommel, but manager Peter Bosz will decide who joins the matchday squad after Saturday's training session. Paul Wanner, Jerdy Schouten, Adamo Nagalo, and Alassane Plea will not play against PSV.
Feyenoord manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst confirmed that Polish midfielder Jakub Moder will return to the matchday squad after suffering a knee injury in April. Bart Nieuwkoop and Gijs Smal are questionable to feature, while Shaqueel van Persie and Reiss Nelson will definitely miss the game, along with long-time absentees Jordan Bos and Thomas Beelen.
Flashscore covers the 2026/27 Eredivisie season week in, week out, with match reports and daily roundups. From PSV's title defence to Telstar's relegation fight and Ajax's resurrection.
Flashscore's Paul Winters delivers the Eredivisie Team of the Week every Monday and looks back on the past weekend in his weekly ErediVision column, which you can find in the league's latest news.
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What the managers said
PSV manager Peter Bosz
On who'll be PSV's striker on Sunday: “We’ve got plenty of players who can play in that position. I already know who it’ll be, but I’m not going to say here, of course.”
On facing the league leaders after the Porto win: “We’ve always had confidence. It’s just that you have to prove it week in, week out. When we faced Feyenoord last year, we were further behind on points than we are now. In football, people’s views on a match like that are always very opportunistic. There’s still a long way to go this season.”
On Feyenoord losing to Real Betis: "They won’t let it completely affect their mood. It does have an impact on you, but the quality of the football played also matters. In the league, at any rate, they’re doing very well.”
On PSV's many away games: “It’s not too bad in the Netherlands, because when you’re playing an away match, you sleep in your own bed. Abroad, you usually stay in a hotel. And if you’re playing in European competitions as well, you’re away from home for six days. I always found that the worst bit. What we’re going through here really isn’t that bad. We’re a small country.”
Feyenoord manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst
On Feyenoord losing to Real Betis: "Physically, we’re doing well. We didn’t pick up any injuries during the match, so that’s a positive. Mentally, a defeat is of course always disappointing, and this match was no exception. Today we’ve started fresh again with our preparations for Sunday’s match. We’re heading there feeling confident, but PSV will certainly be the favourites on their home ground."
On Feyenoord's confidence: "If you look at our start to the league season, it’s been very good. I don’t think it’s by chance that we’re top of the table. We’re scoring a lot of goals and conceding very few, so that’s a good reason for us to keep it up against a strong opponent."
On PSV's injuries: "That doesn’t change our game plan. It’s going to be an interesting match with two teams looking to press high up the pitch. We both play man-to-man, so there’ll be plenty of one-on-one battles all over the pitch. If you can get the better of them, you can capitalise. It’ll be a very open game."
On PSV's win against Porto: "A fantastic result for PSV, taking them to four points. They were in control, and you could see what you usually see from PSV. They applied pressure, and Porto found it harder to cope with than they did a week earlier against Real Betis. PSV’s result is brilliant for us in the Netherlands. That’s why it was so important that the Dutch clubs won all their matches yesterday."
The prognosis
Both teams have had to endure disappointing results in recent weeks, with PSV shockingly losing to ADO Den Haag and Feyenoord falling to Real Betis in the UEFA Champions League. However, based on recent form, Feyenoord is the favourite for Sunday.
The Rotterdam giants would have to overcome a recent slump in Eindhoven, with their last away win at PSV coming in September 2021 - their only win in Eindhoven in the last 10 years.
But no matter how you look at it, it's a game between two behemoths of Dutch football with potent offences and staunch defences. Will PSV close the gap to Feyenoord to just one point, or will the reigning champions have to start a race to the top with a 7-point deficit?
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Paul Winters is Flashscore's Netherlands country manager, having previously worked for Flashscore's Netherlands desk. Paul is an expert on the Eredivisie and also specialises in the NFL, as well as a plethora of other sports. Residing in 'sunny' Katwijk, you can follow all of the news from the Netherlands here.
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