PSV vs Eindhoven

Philips Stadion forms the backdrop for an all-Eindhoven pre-season friendly between PSV and Eindhoven.

It has been a thoroughly disappointing pre-season for PSV Eindhoven thus far, ever since a 6-0 demolition of non-league opposition Lohne in their maiden summer fixture. Indeed, Ruud van Nistelrooy’s men head into proceedings having failed to win their last three pre-season friendlies (D1, L2), conceding 2+ goals on each occasion. However, a traditional off-season meeting with fellow Eindhoven foes is the gift that keeps on giving, with the ‘Farmers’ winning all six previous summer H2Hs, including the last four without conceding. Philips Stadion has been a venue of entertainment lately, as each of PSV’s last seven fixtures here has featured 3+ overall goals, highlighting the potential for another high-scoring fixture.

As for Eindhoven, an underwhelming 3-1 defeat to Belgian side Lierse last time out arrested their 100% win ratio during the off-season (W2), with both those victories coming ‘to nil.’ Curiously, since a 1-1 draw away to De Graafschap in mid-May, none of Eindhoven’s last six outings have ended level (W3, L3). But with four of those six results (win/loss) seeing the winner fail to keep a clean sheet, staying focused in front of goal could prove crucial. Yet, the ‘Blauw-witten’ already look like a doomed outfit, having won just one of their last five matches on hostile turf (D2, L2), conceding 2+ goals in three of them.