PSV Eindhoven will be looking to continue their late-season surge in the Eredivisie when they host Heracles at the Philips Stadion in their penultimate match of the campaign this midweek.
This is a massive game for both these sides, with the hosts now in a heated battle for the league title, while the visitors are still in with a shot at qualifying for Europe next season.
Match preview
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The race at the top of the league standings took a massive twist over the weekend when Ajax dropped points for the third match in a row, suffering a shocking 3-0 defeat to bottom-half NEC Nijmegen.
PSV, on the other hand, got the job done in their match, securing a thrilling 3-2 victory over third-placed Feyenoord, which brought them within a single point of the league leaders heading into the final two games of the season.
The Boeren found themselves in serious trouble early on against Feyenoord, conceding twice within the first 10 minutes, but mounted a stunning comeback in the second half, with Ivan Perisic pulling one back before Noa Lang's brace, including a stoppage-time winner, secured them the three crucial points.
That result not only breathed new life into the team's hopes of defending their league title but also marked Peter Bosz's side's fifth win in a row, which is now the longest active winning streak in the division.
This will be the hosts' final game of the season at Philips Stadion, and they enter it with a solid home record, having only been beaten once on their home turf this season, and that defeat came at the hands of Ajax.
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Meanwhile, the 2024-25 season has been a progressive one for Heracles, as they sit two places higher and already five points better off than where they finished last term, with two games still to go.
HAFC bounced back from heavy defeats to Groningen and Feyenoord with an impressive 2-1 victory against Willem II over the weekend, thanks to goals from Ivan Mesik and Jizz Hornkamp either side of the halftime interval.
That victory also kept Erwin van de Looi's side firmly in the hunt for a European spot next season, now just two points behind newly-crowned KNVB Beker champions Go Ahead Eagles in eighth place.
However, the visitors remain huge outsiders here, having won just three away games all season and failing to beat their upcoming opponents in their last 15 league encounters, a winless run that stretches back to September 2015.
Team News
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Ivan Perisic extended his impressive run of form over the weekend, taking his tally to nine goal contributions - seven goals and two assists - in his last six games since the March international break.
PSV will be without several players due to injury for this match, including Ismael Saibari, Jerdy Schouten, Rick Karsdorp, Lucas Perez, Wessel Kuhn and long-term absentee Ricardo Pepi, while Richard Ledezma is suspended after receiving his fifth yellow of the season against Feyenoord.
Heracles will also be without a player due to suspension in the form of Sem Scheperman, who received a red card in last week's clash with Feyenoord and will miss the remainder of the season.
The visitors have four players currently sidelined through injury, including Stijn Bultman, Sava Cestic, Nikolai Laursen and Justin Hoogma, while midfielder Jordy Bruijn is listed as a major doubt.
PSV Eindhoven possible starting lineup:
Benitez; Dest, Flamingo, Boscagli, Junior; Til, Veerman, Tillman; Lang, De Jong, Perisic
Heracles possible starting lineup:
De Keijzer; Benita, Mirani, Mesik, Rots; De Keersmaecker; Talvitie, Podgoreanu, Bruns; Hornkamp, Kulenovic
We say: PSV Eindhoven 4-1 Heracles
With PSV riding a five-game win streak and still firmly in the title race, they are likely to come flying out of the blocks here against a Heracles side that struggles on the road and has not beaten them in nearly a decade. We fancy a commanding home victory in this one.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Devesh Jaganath
