Utrecht vs PSV – News and Probable Lineups

Still seeking their first win against PSV Eindhoven since 2019, FC Utrecht is set to host the reigning Eredivisie champions at Stadion Galgenwaard on Sunday, looking to break their winless streak.

Under the guidance of Anthony Correia, Utrecht came close to achieving their inaugural top-flight victory in their last outing against Sparta Rotterdam before conceding a late equalizer, and they now face a significant challenge against the top team in the league.

Match overview

The disappointment was evident in matchweek three as Utrecht had chances to secure their first win of the league season against Sparta.

Having taken the lead on three occasions, Correia’s side was pegged back each time by their opponents from Rotterdam, who managed to equalize in the 96th minute thanks to Nick Verschuren, resulting in a thrilling 3-3 draw.

A week after being denied their first competitive win since taking over from the retired Ron Jans, Correia’s Cupfighters now face a much tougher challenge against the league’s premier side, a significant step up from their last trip to Rotterdam.

Utrecht has not triumphed over PSV in six years, with their last victory being a remarkable 3-0 at home back in October 2019, meaning they come into this fixture with a 12-match winless streak against the Eindhoven club.

This single statistic underscores the challenging task that awaits this weekend’s hosts, who can at least take solace in their ability to score against their Eindhoven rivals, although it rarely leads to favorable results.

PSV fans will feel similarly, knowing that their team has conceded in 10 of the last 12 encounters between the two clubs, even while the Boeren have secured eight wins during their unbeaten streak in this fixture.

Last season, the encounters were entertaining contests that ended in favor of the 27-time Eredivisie champions, who clinched victories of 2-1 and 4-3 during the 2025-26 season, with the latter match featuring a comeback from 2-0 down to snatch a dramatic 94th-minute winner by Couhaib Driouech.

PSV’s squad has undergone significant changes over the summer, with Ismael Saibari moving to Bayern Munich and Joey Veerman transferring to Borussia Dortmund, forcing Peter Bosz to find new solutions to maintain their Eredivisie dominance.

After bouncing back from a disappointing opening-day 2-2 draw against Fortuna Sittard, the Eindhoven club has secured wins of 2-1 and 5-1 over SBV Excelsior and Groningen respectively, the latter being particularly surprising given Groningen’s prior winning streak.

This could be a strong indicator that Bosz’s players are determined to keep their grip at the top of the table in pursuit of winning a fourth consecutive Eredivisie title, with Ivan Perisic and Ruben van Bommel playing pivotal roles in their success.

PSV not only heads to Stadion Galgenwaard with the desire to maintain their unbeaten start but could also end the weekend at the summit of the league if they win and AZ Alkmaar falters for the first time.

Team News

Utrecht will evaluate the condition of their star forward Artem Stepanov, who was substituted after 73 minutes against Sparta, along with Ferdinand Pohl (calf) and Joris van Overeem; however, Victor Jensen (knee), Noah Ohio (knee), Alonzo Engwanda (hamstring issue), Miliano Jonathans (knee) and Oualid Agougil are all ruled out.

Being without Stepanov for a match against PSV could be a setback, especially as only Adrian Blake has found the net more than once for the Cathedral Citizens after three rounds.

While PSV also features two players who have netted more than once — Perisic and Ricardo Pepi — the overall prowess of their joint-top scorers remains likely to make an impact.

On the transfer side, Driouech has signed with La Liga club Celta since PSV’s last match, ruling him out of scoring consecutively against Utrecht.

However, PSV will be without Alassane Plea and Jerdy Schouten (knee) this weekend and likely for a more extended period.

FC Utrecht probable starting XI:

Barkas; Horemans, Didden, Nwankwo; Vesterlund, De Wit, Van den Berg, Zagre; Alarcon, Min, Cathline

PSV Eindhoven probable starting XI:

Coward; Dest, Flamingo, Bishop, Junior; Till, Sano, Fernandez; Perisic, Pepi, Van Bommel

Although Utrecht will be eager to move past their defensive breakdown against Sparta, overcoming a formidable PSV side that has been unbeaten in 12 matches against them poses a significant challenge.

Consequently, the free-scoring defending champions should possess far too much attacking quality to falter at Stadion Galgenwaard.