Preview: PSV Eindhoven vs. Feyenoord - prediction, team news, lineups

Fresh off disappointing European exits during the week, PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord return to Eredivisie action in Sunday’s gameweek 21 clash at Philips Stadion, keen to move on from their continental mishaps.

With 14 points separating both teams in the table, league-leading PSV could all but extinguish their rivals’ fading hopes of a 17th top-flight title by returning to winning ways after three winless games across all competitions.

Match preview

Considering their healthy 14-point advantage in the Eredivisie, Peter Bosz would have relished a decent run in this season’s Champions League.

However, those ambitions were extinguished as the Farmers missed out on 24th place by one point after suffering defeats to Newcastle United (3-0) and Bayern Munich (2-1) in the space of a week, following December’s 3-2 loss against Atletico Madrid on matchday six.

The upshot of those three straight defeats was elimination from European competition this term, leaving Bosz’s team to compete for a league title and KNVB Beker double, a feat achievable if the Eindhoven giants play at their best.

Returning to top-flight action this weekend pits them against their nearest challengers in the title race, even if they have opened up a significant lead at the top of the standings after 20 games.

While their 13-match winning streak was halted in last weekend’s 2-2 draw with NAC Breda — with Feyenoord defeating Heracles 4-2 — a 14-point advantage with 14 gameweeks to play underlines PSV’s dominance in the competition.

An 18th league victory would open up a 17-point gap over the Rotterdam visitors, which would all but see the Eindhoven giants with one hand on their 27th league title, even with 13 matches left to play.

That outcome is undeniably feared by Robin van Persie and his team, whose recollection of the reverse fixture at De Kuip may fill them with undoubted sadness.

When these sides faced off in October, Feyenoord had accumulated 25 points from a possible 27, keeping six clean sheets as they looked primed for a strong title challenge.

However, confidence has faded since that 3-2 defeat in Rotterdam, with a spate of injuries also taking its toll as the Stadium Club have seen a slim three-point advantage over PSV before gameweek 10 make way for a 14-point deficit.

Having accrued 25 points from their opening nine matches, Feyenoord have taken 14 from the subsequent 11 games, with last weekend’s 4-2 success over bottom-placed Heracles marking De Stadionclub’s first victory in five league fixtures.

The team’s extended dip stems from their inability to keep a clean sheet in league play since October’s 7-0 thrashing of Heracles in Almelo, their leaky rearguard conceding two goals or more in three consecutive league games and in seven of their last nine in all competitions, underlining their defensive troubles.

That does not bode well ahead of a trip to free-scoring PSV, whom they have lost to in four consecutive meetings and not defeated in the league since a stunning 4-0 success in September 2021.

Having had to stew over exiting Europe on Thursday following a 2-1 loss to Real Betis, it will be fascinating to see which version of Van Persie’s team emerges in Sunday’s standout Eredivisie clash.

PSV Eindhoven Eredivisie form:

PSV Eindhoven form (all competitions):

Feyenoord Eredivisie form:

Feyenoord form (all competitions):

Team News

Ivan Perisic, whose future in Eindhoven is uncertain as the veteran reportedly wants a return to Inter, was replaced against Bayern with an apparent injury, making him touch-and-go for the weekend.

Another whose future is unclear is Ricardo Pepi, with Fulham keen on the USMNT forward, although the 23-year-old was unlikely to play this weekend due to a forearm fracture.

Also missing for the Eindhoven hosts are Myron Boadu (muscle), Alassane Plea (knee), Nick Olij (groin) and long-term absentee Ruben van Bommel (knee).

Although he set up two of PSV’s goals last week, taking him to 10 assists this season and 18 goal contributions overall, Joey Veerman’s influence could only secure a point against NAC Breda.

Eleven-goal forward Guus Til is the home team’s leading scorer in the league, but he has not scored an Eredivisie goal in three top-flight fixtures since December’s strike against Heracles, and he aims to end that drought this weekend.

Feyenoord’s Ayase Ueda remains the division’s top scorer with 18 goals; however, the forward, who has not scored in seven matches in all competitions and four in the Eredivisie since netting four in December’s 6-1 thrashing of PEC Zwolle, is an injury doubt for Sunday.

With eight of his 18 strikes coming away from home, Ueda has shown that he can make his mark in different circumstances and situations, regardless of the ongoing drought, and his possible absence significantly weakens the second-placed visitors.

If Ueda is unavailable, the responsibility will fall on Anis Hadj Moussa, who has scored two goals and provided two assists in four appearances in all competitions since returning from AFCON 2025 duty with Algeria, taking his total to 13 goal contributions overall.

Despite Moussa’s match-winning quality, the away side’s lengthening injury list, in addition to the doubtful Ueda, includes Anel Ahmedhodzic, Tsuyoshi Watanabe, Gijs Smal, Thomas Beelen, Givairo Read, Gaoussou Diarra, Sam Steijn, Gernot Trauner, Shiloh ’t Zand and Malcolm Jengs.

PSV Eindhoven possible starting lineup:

Kovar; Dest, Schouten, Obispo, Junior; Veerman, Wanner; Perisic, Saibari, Driouech; Til

Feyenoord possible starting lineup:

Wellenreuther; Deijl, Kraaijeveld, Targhalline, Bos; Hwang, Valente; Moussa, Larin, Sauer; Tengstedt