The second match of 2023 centers on the previously postponed duel with FC Twente. Team Head Coach Peter Bosz kicks off its TOTO KNVB Cup campaign at home on Wednesday night. It is the second time in a short time that the team will take on the team from Enschede.
The main squad has an honor to uphold in the Cup competition: the last two editions were won by PSV. In both the final of season 2021-2022 and 2022-2023, Ajax was defeated in Rotterdam's Kuip: under coach Roger Schmidt, Cody Gakpo decided the 2022 edition (2-1) and in May 2023, PSV crowned themselves winners after a penalty shootout. Joël Drommel then turned Edson Álvarez's penalty, after which Fábio Silva shot the club to its eleventh TOTO KNVB Cup title.
Last game
Recently, the teams were still in action against each other in round thirteen of the Eredivisie season. On Nov. 25, PSV ran out in Enschede after a red card for FC Twente defender Mees Hilgers: Joey Veerman, Johan Bakayoko and an own goal by the opponent determined the final score at 3-0 in favor of PSV. It was the 19th time in Eredivisie history that PSV returned home with the three points after a visit to the Grolsch Veste.
Top scorer Luuk
Of the players currently still active as professional football players, Luuk de Jong is second on the all-time top scorer list in the TOTO KNVB Beker. Only Ajax striker Steven Berghuis (17) managed to find the net more often in his career than the PSV captain (15). If Luuk is on target against FC Twente, also his old club, he can equal the record or take over the first position.
His hat-trick in PSV's match on Saturday helped Luuk enter the top 10 list of all-time top scorers in the Eredivisie. His opening goal was number 162 in the Eredivisie, putting him on par with Cor van der Gijp. With the milestone, the PSV captain joins a line of fine names: among others, former PSV players Willy van der Kuijlen (311 goals) and Ruud Geels (265 goals) are still above him in the all-time rankings.
In good form
The main squad had a good dress rehearsal ahead of the first cup game of the calendar year. PSV could already call themselves winter champions with sixteen wins from as many matches and started the second half of the Eredivisie season well with a 3-1 victory over Excelsior Rotterdam. The team thus recorded its first victory of the calendar year. As many as 40 wins were recorded in 2023; a new club record. This previously stood at 37, achieved in 2005 and 2006.
History
PSV and FC Twente have been at the kickoff of a cup match together before (W7-G0-V3). It is the eleventh time both clubs have met in the tournament, the most recent being in the last sixteen of the 2011-2012 season. Back then, PSV only managed to defeat the team from Enschede in extension: a double from Tim Matavž secured a 2-1 victory in the Grolsch Veste. Luuk de Jong also came into action that game, wearing the FC Twente shirt at the time.
The last cup confrontation that took place at Philips Stadium dates back to the 2005-2006 season, also in the eighth final. That night, PSV, at the time with Guus Hiddink at the helm, advanced through a 3-0 win over the Toppers. Jefferson Farfán and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink (2x) were responsible for goal production.
Old acquaintances
Two PSV players have a past with the current number three in the Eredivisie rankings. Goalkeeper Joël Drommel played over 120 games there between 2015 and 2021 and then made the switch to PSV. Luuk had glorious years there between 2009 and 2012: he became national champion there, ran away with the TOTO KNVB Cup once and managed to win the Johan Cruijff Schaal twice.
There are familiar names on the FC Twente match forms: five players currently representing FC Twente's colors once wore the PSV shirt. Joshua Brenet (109 matches), Michal Sadílek (27), Mathias Kjølø (1), and goalkeepers Przemyslaw Tyton (24) and Lars Unnerstall (15), for example, played for the club. Of this list, Joshua, Michal and Mathias progressed from PSV Academy.
