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Europe beware, PSV are out to prove a point in the Champions League

Europe beware, PSV are out to prove a point in the Champions League

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There are dominant teams and then there’s PSV. Peter Bosz’s team have lost just one of their last 39 Eredivisie games.

By Graham Ruthven

Last season, PSV broke records as they won their first 17 league fixtures, leading many to question whether an unprecedented campaign would be on the cards. This season, the same questions are being asked after five wins from five games.

Remarkably, PSV kept almost all of their best players over the summer transfer window. Jordan Teze left for Monaco while Chucky Lozano will join San Diego in Major League Soccer early next year, but Bosz maintained the core of his record-breaking team and that continuity could make them even stronger this season.

In just five Eredivisie matches, PSV have found the back of the net 20 times. Lozano has scored four times while Guus Til has five goal contributions. PSV averaged 3.2 goals per game in the Dutch top flight last season and are on course to maintain that scoring ratio having quickly hit the ground running this season.

With Ajax in the middle of a rebuild and Feyenoord reeling from the departure of Arne Slot to Liverpool, the Eredivisie might as well declare PSV champions for a second successive season. It seems highly unlikely anyone will be able to keep pace with a team aiming to improve on last season’s tally of 91 points.

In the Champions League, though, PSV still have a point to prove. While Bosz’s team caught the eye in the group stage last season, only suffering one defeat to Arsenal as they finished second, they came unstuck against Borussia Dortmund in the last 16. A deeper run in Europe’s premier club competition is the target this season.

As a modern and dynamic team, there’s no reason to believe PSV can’t go far in the Champions League. While they used to play a more direct game under Ruud van Nistelrooy, Bosz has instilled a style of football that sits somewhere between Klopp’s ‘Gegenpressing’ and Pep Guardiola’s ‘Tiki-Taka.’ 

Under Bosz, PSV rank as one of the most successful pressing teams in any of the big European leagues. Their PPDA (Passes Per Defensive Action) of 9.2 is the lowest of any team in the Eredivisie, meaning they are the quickest to engage opposition teams when they have the ball. For context, Klopp’s Liverpool’s PPDA stood at 8.9 last season. That’s the level PSV are on.

In possession, PSV are similarly impressive. No team is averaging a higher share of the ball (74.9%) than the defending champions this season with Bosz’s side also accumulating more touches in the opposition box (269) than anyone else – for context, AZ Alkmaar are second in that metric with 161.

The control PSV have had in their matches so far this season has been unmatched, averaging 638.4 accurate passes per game. Jerdy Schouten and Joey Veerman give PSV so much security on the ball in the centre of the pitch with the latter frequently pushed high to increase his influence on the attacking play. This is reflected by Veerman’s record of four assists in just five games this season. Last season, he finished with 16 assists in 29 league outings.

Further forward, Luuk de Jong remains the focal point of the PSV forward line. At 34, the former Barcelona and Newcastle United striker is into the twilight of his career, but his effectiveness can’t be doubted. What’s more, Bosz has USA international and penalty box poached Ricardo Pepi as an option off the bench.

Johan Bakayoko was linked with a move away from the Phillips Stadion earlier this year with several Premier League clubs believed to be admirers of the 21-year-old, but PSV managed to keep hold of the player many consider to be their prize asset. Bakayoko’s ball-carrying ability and dribbling makes him a standout talent on the right side of PSV’s attack.

Bakayoko player traits

Ryan Flamingo is another high-potential asset currently at PSV that many believe is destined for the very top of the game. The 21-year-old joined in a €9m transfer from FC Utrecht this summer in a deal that could pan out as one of the biggest bargains anywhere in European football this season. 

Indeed, Flamingo has given PSV another dimension playing out from the back. The Netherlands U21 international is averaging more accurate passes per 90 minutes (103.1) than any other PSV player this season and has forged a natural understanding with Olivier Boscagli in the centre of the defensive line.

PSV have been handed a challenging Champions League path which will see them face Juventus, Sporting CP, Paris Saint-Germain, Girona and Liverpool in the league phase. Nonetheless, the Dutch champions have shown enough to suggest they have taken another step forward since last season. They could prove this in the Champions League.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Champions League on FotMob – with in-depth stat coverage including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Europe beware, PSV are out to prove a point in the Champions League

There are dominant teams and then there’s PSV. Peter Bosz’s team have lost just one of their last 39 Eredivisie games.

By Graham Ruthven

Last season, PSV broke records as they won their first 17 league fixtures, leading many to question whether an unprecedented campaign would be on the cards. This season, the same questions are being asked after five wins from five games.

Remarkably, PSV kept almost all of their best players over the summer transfer window. Jordan Teze left for Monaco while Chucky Lozano will join San Diego in Major League Soccer early next year, but Bosz maintained the core of his record-breaking team and that continuity could make them even stronger this season.

In just five Eredivisie matches, PSV have found the back of the net 20 times. Lozano has scored four times while Guus Til has five goal contributions. PSV averaged 3.2 goals per game in the Dutch top flight last season and are on course to maintain that scoring ratio having quickly hit the ground running this season.

With Ajax in the middle of a rebuild and Feyenoord reeling from the departure of Arne Slot to Liverpool, the Eredivisie might as well declare PSV champions for a second successive season. It seems highly unlikely anyone will be able to keep pace with a team aiming to improve on last season’s tally of 91 points.

In the Champions League, though, PSV still have a point to prove. While Bosz’s team caught the eye in the group stage last season, only suffering one defeat to Arsenal as they finished second, they came unstuck against Borussia Dortmund in the last 16. A deeper run in Europe’s premier club competition is the target this season.

As a modern and dynamic team, there’s no reason to believe PSV can’t go far in the Champions League. While they used to play a more direct game under Ruud van Nistelrooy, Bosz has instilled a style of football that sits somewhere between Klopp’s ‘Gegenpressing’ and Pep Guardiola’s ‘Tiki-Taka.’ 

Under Bosz, PSV rank as one of the most successful pressing teams in any of the big European leagues. Their PPDA (Passes Per Defensive Action) of 9.2 is the lowest of any team in the Eredivisie, meaning they are the quickest to engage opposition teams when they have the ball. For context, Klopp’s Liverpool’s PPDA stood at 8.9 last season. That’s the level PSV are on.

In possession, PSV are similarly impressive. No team is averaging a higher share of the ball (74.9%) than the defending champions this season with Bosz’s side also accumulating more touches in the opposition box (269) than anyone else – for context, AZ Alkmaar are second in that metric with 161.

The control PSV have had in their matches so far this season has been unmatched, averaging 638.4 accurate passes per game. Jerdy Schouten and Joey Veerman give PSV so much security on the ball in the centre of the pitch with the latter frequently pushed high to increase his influence on the attacking play. This is reflected by Veerman’s record of four assists in just five games this season. Last season, he finished with 16 assists in 29 league outings.

Further forward, Luuk de Jong remains the focal point of the PSV forward line. At 34, the former Barcelona and Newcastle United striker is into the twilight of his career, but his effectiveness can’t be doubted. What’s more, Bosz has USA international and penalty box poached Ricardo Pepi as an option off the bench.

Johan Bakayoko was linked with a move away from the Phillips Stadion earlier this year with several Premier League clubs believed to be admirers of the 21-year-old, but PSV managed to keep hold of the player many consider to be their prize asset. Bakayoko’s ball-carrying ability and dribbling makes him a standout talent on the right side of PSV’s attack.

Bakayoko player traits

Ryan Flamingo is another high-potential asset currently at PSV that many believe is destined for the very top of the game. The 21-year-old joined in a €9m transfer from FC Utrecht this summer in a deal that could pan out as one of the biggest bargains anywhere in European football this season. 

Indeed, Flamingo has given PSV another dimension playing out from the back. The Netherlands U21 international is averaging more accurate passes per 90 minutes (103.1) than any other PSV player this season and has forged a natural understanding with Olivier Boscagli in the centre of the defensive line.

PSV have been handed a challenging Champions League path which will see them face Juventus, Sporting CP, Paris Saint-Germain, Girona and Liverpool in the league phase. Nonetheless, the Dutch champions have shown enough to suggest they have taken another step forward since last season. They could prove this in the Champions League.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Champions League on FotMob – with in-depth stat coverage including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.