PSV Rampant as Title Beckons: Heerenveen Next Hurdle

Soccer

PSV Eindhoven’s seemingly unstoppable march towards their 25th Eredivisie title continues on Thursday, as the rampant league leaders travel to take on Heerenveen. A victory at the Abe Lenstra Stadion, combined with a Feyenoord slip-up, could even see Peter Bosz’s side crowned champions by the end of the night.

The Peasants have been in scintillating form lately, smashing 13 goals in their last three outings alone. Last week’s 6-0 demolition of Vitesse was a prime example of PSV’s firepower, with Luuk de Jong and Johan Bakayoko continuing their prolific campaigns by getting on the scoresheet.

De Jong’s brace took his tally to 25 league goals this term, making him only the fourth player to reach that mark in four different Eredivisie seasons. The veteran striker has been ably supported by the emerging Bakayoko, who became the second youngest foreign player to score in four consecutive games for PSV after Ronaldo’s exploits in 1995.

Such statistics highlight why PSV have been nigh-on unstoppable domestically this season. Their only league defeat came against NEC last month, which seems to have been little more than a minor blip in an otherwise flawless campaign.

Next up is Heerenveen, who PSV dispatched 2-0 back in December during the reverse fixture. The Eindhoven club have not lost to their upcoming opponents in 11 meetings stretching back six years.

Heerenveen did arrest a five-game winless streak by beating Heracles 2-0 last time out. However, Kees van Wonderen’s men have struggled at home of late, losing to Feyenoord and Utrecht while conceding three goals in each of those defeats.

PSV’s prowess in attack could expose Heerenveen’s vulnerabilities at the back once again. Even without the injured quartet of Sergino Dest, Isaac Babadi, Noa Lang and potentially Ricardo Pepi, Bosz can still call upon the prolific De Jong, the in-form Bakayoko, Malik Tillman and the pacy Hirving Lozano.

While an unexpected Heerenveen victory is not impossible, PSV will be firm favourites to take another major step towards an eagerly-awaited league title on Thursday. Bosz’s side are in ominous form, and it could take a seismic effort to stop them wrapping up the championship sooner rather than later.