Volendam vs PSV – News and Probable Lineups

After three decades without success against PSV Eindhoven, FC Volendam are poised to host the reigning Eredivisie champions at Kras Stadion for Saturday’s gameweek 23 encounter.

The home team has managed to avoid defeat in recent rounds, amassing four points from the last two matches, but they face a significant hurdle against the top side in the division, who seem well on their way to clinching a 27th title.

Match overview

Rick Kruys has already experienced the difficulties of facing PSV in his role as Volendam manager, with the earlier match in Eindhoven resulting in a 3-0 defeat to the two-time defending Eredivisie champions.

This loss in November marked the 18th consecutive defeat for the Other Oranje in this matchup, commencing a 20-match winless streak against the Farmers, which included several draws.

Since May 1994, Volendam has not secured a win in this matchup, and as they head into Friday’s fixture, they are undoubtedly the underdogs, although their fans may approach the start of round 23 with a hint of confidence.

Currently placed 15th, the promoted side holds a four-point cushion over 16th-placed Telstar in the relegation playoff zone and second-bottom Heracles, both stuck on 17 points, ensuring they won’t drop into the perilous spots regardless of the upcoming round’s outcomes.

With their recent unbeaten streak of two matches in the league, in which they gained four points, the hosts aim to make it three top-flight fixtures without a loss for just the second time since their promotion.

Having gathered 16 of their 21 points at Kras Stadion, which constitutes 76.2% of their total, there’s a glimmer of hope, even if the chances for a fifth league victory in front of their supporters are slim.

Approaching their matchup in gameweek 23 with optimism is challenging due to the formidable opposition: Peter Bosz’s Boeren.

To provide some context, there is a 38-point gap and 14 positions between the teams in the Eredivisie standings, with the high-flying leaders boasting a 17-point advantage over second-placed Feyenoord with 12 matches left to play.

Unlikely to relinquish their lead, it appears to be a matter of when rather than if the Eindhoven giants will secure a third consecutive league title and their 27th overall.

With only one league defeat this season — a 2-0 loss against newly-promoted Telstar — PSV’s impressive 100% away record positions them well ahead of Friday’s fixture at Kras Stadion, where they have triumphed in nine successive matches in all competitions with an aggregate score of 36-7.

The aforementioned statistics underscore the existing and historical disparity between the two clubs, as PSV, who have netted the most away goals (30) and conceded the least (10), aim to maintain their flawless record away from home, extending Volendam’s lengthy wait for a favorable result in this fixture.

Team News

Despite appearing to have no injury concerns from last week’s victory at PEC Zwolle, which marked their first away win of the season, Kruys’s squad does have some uncertainties for Friday: Henk Veerman will undergo a late fitness assessment, as will Anthony Descotte, Joel Ideho, and Nordin Bukala; however, Gibson Yah’s knee issue rules him out.

Brandley Kuwas, who provided and scored the decisive goal in the second half of stoppage time against Zwolle, could play a leading role this weekend, looking to increase his tally of four Eredivisie goals and three assists.

Robin van Cruijsen has been instrumental in six goals (three goals and three assists), including one in last weekend’s eagerly-anticipated away victory, and this attacking midfielder aims to make an impact against the top team in the league.

On the other side, PSV’s comeback heroes from last week’s match in Groningen — Ismael Saibari and Dennis Man — are projected to start, with Esmir Bajraktarevic expected to make way for Man.

Saibari’s goal last week was his sixth scored away and 11th in total — only Feyenoord’s Ayase Ueda (eight) has more goals on the road — as the Moroccan international seeks to bolster his impressive record.

Joey Veerman and Guus Til have netted five and four goals away from home, respectively, indicating that there are other key game-changers within the PSV squad if Saibari does not shine.

Despite their undeniable power, Bosz’s team will be missing first-choice goalkeeper Matej Kovar, as well as Alassane Plea (knee), Nick Olij (groin), Ricardo Pepi (fracture), and Ruben van Bommel (knee) due to injuries.

FC Volendam probable starting XI:

Van Oevelen; Ugwu, Amevor, Verschuren, Meijers; Flat, Kwakman; Ould-Chikh, Van Cruijsen, Kokcu; Kuwas

PSV Eindhoven probable starting XI:

Arrange; Dest, Schouten, Gasiorowski, Junior; Wanner, Veerman; Man, Saibari, Perisic; Til

Not only does history favor PSV, but the Eindhoven giants remain unbeaten in 11 away fixtures this season, along with five victories to conclude the previous campaign, stretching their away winning streak to 16 matches.

While Volendam has performed admirably at Kras Stadion, PSV is anticipated to triumph over the 15th-placed hosts on Friday, further extending their advantage at the top of the table to 20 points ahead of Feyenoord’s match against Go Ahead Eagles.