PSV will play the away match against Go Ahead Eagles at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday night. The game between the number one and fifteen of the Eredivisie is under the direction of referee Richard Liesveld. A preview of the match in facts and figures.
Beautiful series in Deventer
Because PSV had no more weekday commitments, head coach Phillip Cocu's team was able to work towards this game in peace. Based on statistics, playing in Deventer is something PSV has done well in the most recent meetings. Of the last eight meetings, PSV won seven and drew once. In those, it scored 25 goals and gave up only four. The last defeat at Go Ahead dates from November 19, 1983. PSV took the lead, but eventually lost 2-1. In 1995 PSV's biggest away win at Go Ahead was 0-5.
Last season, PSV decided the away game in Deventer only in the closing stages | © Pics United
Large home win
PSV also put that result down earlier this season in the home match against Go Ahead Eagles. In the last game before the winter break, PSV proved a size too big for head coach Foeke Booy's team. Memphis scored two goals and Santiago Arias, Jürgen Locadia and Florian Jozefzoon also scored. At halftime it was 2-0, the other three goals came in the last ten minutes of the game.
PSV shows resilience
Last season, Go Ahead returned to the Eredivisie since 1995 and hosted PSV on March 1. Through Jarchinio Antonia and Erik Falkenburg (currently no longer playing for Go Ahead), the Eagles took a 2-0 lead before halftime. After the break, however, it was the turn of PSV, who secured the three points through Memphis, Locadia and a very late goal by Bryan Ruiz.
Danger of relegation
Go Ahead is still just above sixteenth place in the Eredivisie, but desperately needs the points to stay out of the relegation zone. The difference with number sixteen Heracles Almelo is only two points, so a defeat against PSV could mean that Go Ahead ends up in a place of the nacompetition. From the last twelve games, the club gained only eight points and in the last eleven it scored only five goals with a maximum of one per game. In De Adelaarshorst, Go Ahead has played twelve games so far this season, in which it has scored goals just as often. Six of the twelve games were also lost.
Memphis Depay here dueling with Giliano Wijnaldum in Eindhoven | © Pics United
Brotherly struggle
For Go Ahead, the game against PSV is the thousandth in the Eredivisie. If PSV wins then the club will reach the 4000 point mark in Eredivisie terms. Adam Maher can play his fiftieth game for PSV, in which he scored ten goals so far, including seven this season. Tonight's match is special for Georginio Wijnaldum. His little brother Giliano is under contract to Go Ahead. His teammate Jop van der Linden could be playing his 150th game in Dutch professional football, while for Sjoerd Overgoor it could be his hundredth game for Go Ahead.