PSV travels to Domstad for its first away game of 2024. In Utrecht's Stadion Galgenwaard, Head Coach Peter Bosz 's team can take on multiple records, Luuk de Jong will have the opportunity to add personal milestone and the game will be a reunion with old friends.
With the last win in the league, against Excelsior Rotterdam, PSV equaled its own record from season 1987-1988 by winning the first seventeen games of the Eredivisie season. With a good result against the Utrechters, the team can now become the first team ever to win its first eighteen games of the season. In the 1988 success season, PSV's eighteenth Eredivisie game was a 2-2 draw against FC Twente at home. Erik Gerets and Gerald Vanenburg scored the goals at the time.
Difficulty in Utrecht
PSV has beaten FC Utrecht 72 times in its history. Only Ajax recorded more wins against a specific opponent (75 against NAC Breda and Willem II) than PSV against FC Utrecht (W72-G23-V11). Much of the defeats against Sunday's opponent were recorded in recent years. The main squad won only 1 of its last 5 away games at FC Utrecht in the Eredivisie (W1-G3-V1): 1-0 in March 2022 by a goal from Eran Zahavi. In contrast, PSV won its last 27 Eredivisie matches at home against FC Utrecht (1997-present).
First win
Both clubs have faced off once before in the current Eredivisie campaign. In the first round of play, PSV recorded a 2-0 win at home, with Noa Lang and Yorbe Vertessen crowning themselves goal scorers at the time. PSV has already won 16 times this Eredivisie season by a margin of at least two goals. Last season, defending champions Feyenoord won a total of seventeen times by a margin of at least two goals.
Draw
Last season, PSV dropped points at Stadion Galgenwaard (2-2). In February 2023, PSV enjoyed a 2-1 lead through goals from Johan Bakayoko and Luuk de Jong, but still had to concede the equalizer from Sander van de Streek. At home, the main force managed to win convincingly against FC Utrecht: it was 6-1 through double goals by Guus Til and former players Anwar El Ghazi and Xavi Simons.
Good in away games
PSV has won its last 12 away matches in the Eredivisie and can now match the record for consecutive away wins. This one was achieved by PSV itself: between December 2015 and September 2016, PSV won thirteen league games in a row, at the time with Philip Cocu at the helm.
Familiar faces
Nick Viergever (75 Eredivisie games), Bart Ramselaar (62), Zakaria Labyad (45) and Sam Lammers (20) all have a past with PSV. Ramselaar and Lammers were part of the selection that got to hold up the championship trophy for the last time (2017-2018).
