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

A week after ending their winless streak and claiming their first competitive win of the 2026-27 season, defending Eredivisie champions PSV Eindhoven return to Philips Stadion on Sunday, aiming to secure their first home success.

Peter Bosz’s men defeated SBV Excelsior 2-1 in Rotterdam to snap their two-match winless start to the new campaign, and now look to secure consecutive league successes against a Groningen side they usually fare well against.

Match preview

PSV have arguably been weakened since lifting a third consecutive Eredivisie title at the back end of the 2025-26 season, with Ismael Saibari leaving for Bayern Munich in the off-season and Joey Veerman exiting to Borussia Dortmund in recent days.

Both departures leave Bosz’s ambition to claim four straight top-flight titles up in the air, even if the Farmers remain favourites to secure the league crown.

Their approach remains the same: score significantly more than the opponent, an all-or-nothing approach favoured by the ultra-attacking manager, who is chasing history this term.

They have done commendably to rectify their false start to the new term — they were handed a 4-0 defeat by AZ Alkmaar in the Johan Cruyff Shield and drew 2-2 against Fortuna Sittard in the league opener — by beating Excelsior 2-1 last time out.

Entering this weekend on four points from six, supporters will now back their side to claim a first win in Eindhoven this term as they welcome Groningen to the Brabant province, aiming to beat De FC again.

Indeed, Dick Lukkien will undoubtedly be aware of his side’s historical disadvantage in this fixture, having fallen to five consecutive losses against PSV and suffering nine defeats in the last 10 meetings.

Groningen’s only win during this 10-match spell came in October 2022, a 4-2 success that has since proved an anomaly in the FC’s miserable record in this fixture.

Nonetheless, starting the season winning two from two — a positive stat shared with AZ — the Pride of the North aim to claim three straight victories at the expense of the defending champions.

For that to happen, Groningen must snap a seven-match losing run in Eindhoven, where they are winless since March 2014, a 12-year spell lasting 11 matches, during which they have failed to score in six visits.

Those numbers make for grim reading ahead of Sunday, even if Lukkien will back his players to stun champions whose soft underbelly always makes them vulnerable.

PSV Eindhoven Eredivisie form:

PSV Eindhoven form (all competitions):

Groningen Eredivisie form:

Team News

While Jerdy Schouten is definitely absent this weekend due to a serious knee injury, Filip Kostic, Alassane Plea, Couhaib Driouech (thigh) and Noah Fernandez (knock) will be assessed.

Ruben van Bommel, back after missing most of last season with a serious knee issue, was back among the goals against Excelsior, while Ricardo Pepi was also on target to open his account for the season.

With Veerman and Saibari no longer at the club, Ivan Perisic and Guus Til must take up even more final-third responsibility for Boeren, with Perisic already assisting in the league opener against Fortuna a fortnight back.

The visitors will assess Marco Rente, but Tyrique Mercera, Ryan Metu, Oskar Zawada (knock) and Malcolm Jeng (Achilles) are absent.

Thom van Bergen has been Groningen’s standout performer at the start of 2026-27, with the attacking midfielder scoring two and assisting one heading into Sunday’s trip to Philips Stadion.

Two-goal forward Brynjolfur Darri Willumsson and wide threat David van der Werff have also had pleasing starts to the new campaign, and they possess the quality to hurt the Lightbulbs this weekend.

PSV Eindhoven possible starting lineup:

Kovar; Dest, Flamingo, Obispo, Fernandez; Junior, Wanner; Perisic, Til, Van Bommel; Pepi

Groningen possible starting lineup:

Vaessen; Schreuders, Blokzijl, Van der Laan, Prins; De Jonge, Land; Van der Werff, Van Bergen, Clement; Willumsson

We say: PSV Eindhoven 3-2 Groningen

Despite the recent departures of key creative figures like Veerman, Bosz’s ultra-attacking approach guarantees chances will be created against an unbeaten Groningen side.

The visitors have the attacking momentum to cause genuine problems on the counter, but the sheer quality of the hosts’ front quartet — Perisic, Til, Van Bommel and Pepi — should ultimately edge a fiercely contested encounter in favour of the champions.

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