PSV Eindhoven will set out to preserve the only 100% record left in the 2024-25 Eredivisie season when NEC come visiting the Philips Stadion on Saturday afternoon.
Similarly, the away side will also head into this weekend's encounter in high spirits off the back of consecutive league victories from their last two outings.
Match preview
PSV have not successfully defended a league title since 2016, but their start to the current campaign suggests they have no plans of relinquishing their domestic crown which they emphatically secured last time out.
Since losing the Johan Cruyff Shield final to Feyenoord on penalties, Peter Bosz's men have come out on top in each of their opening four league matches by a two-goal margin at least.
The most recent of those wins came against Go Ahead Eagles just before the international break, where De Rood-witten recorded their first shutout after conceding one goal apiece in their first three games against RKC Waalwijk, Heracles and Almere City.
PSV's three-goal haul last time out has seen them rack up 18 goals already; no team in the entire division is into double figures yet, with Groningen and Feyenoord both in second place on seven strikes.
The reigning champions look poised to replicate their attacking ruthlessness from last season en route to scoring 111 goals in 34 outings, and that spells bad news for any team hoping to usurp them.
With the commencement of their Champions League journey against Juventus three days later, Saturday's hosts now face the added pressure of continental commitments and will need to rise up to the challenge.
NEC could have hardly asked for a worse start to the season having lost their first two matches against FC Twente and AZ Alkmaar, but they have since rallied to pick up six points from a possible six.
Rogier Meijer's men got their league campaign up and running at the third time of asking with a hard-fought 1-0 win over NEC on August 28 before comprehensively thrashing Fortuna Sittard 3-0 one week later.
Those consecutive wins have moved the Eniesee up to sixth in the Eredivisie table, but their recent resurgence is now set to be extensively tested with games against PSV and Feyenoord to come either side of a home clash against Heracles.
NEC's record against this weekend's opponent is daunting to say the least, having recorded only one victory from the last 22 editions of this fixture across all competitions stretching back to 2009.
However, that solitary win did come in the most recent encounter back in March, when Saturday's visitors ran out 3-1 winners to become the only side to inflict a league defeat on their hosts throughout the 2023-24 season.
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Team News
Fode Fofana, Armando Obispo and Sergino Dest are all nursing knee injuries, and neither will feature for PSV Eindhoven in Saturday's affair.
The home side will also be without the services of Hirving Lozano and Mauro Junior, who are both down with muscle problems, while Fredrik Oppegard misses out through a knock.
Last season's leading goalscorer, Luuk de Jong, is a major doubt for this one after the Dutchman came off with a first-half injury scare against Go Ahead Eagles.
No player has been more involved in more league goals this term than Joey Veerman—joint level with teammates Lozano and De Jong—after he opened his account for the campaign last time out to go along with his four assists so far.
Twenty-seven-year-old Philippe Sandler is out of contention for NEC due to a muscle injury that has kept him out of action since the final week of April.
Forward Rober Gonzalez has found the back of the net in consecutive games for the away side and will be looking to deliver the goods once again.
PSV Eindhoven possible starting lineup:
Benitez; Ledezma, Flamingo, Boscagli, Dams; Til, Veerman, Tillman; Bakayoko, Pepi, Driouech
NEC possible starting lineup:
Roefs; Verdonk, Nuytinck, Alvarez, Pereira; Sano, Proper; Ouwejan, Gonzalez, Onal; Ogawa
We say: PSV Eindhoven 3-0 NEC
PSV are unstoppable at the moment, and we cannot envisage any other outcome from this one rather than a comfortable victory for the reigning champions to keep the juggernaut rolling.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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