Planning to watch PSV Eindhoven - Groningen in the Eredivisie? The match is at Philips Stadion in Eindhoven on 23 August. Check both teams' form, recent head-to-head meetings and practical travel details, then plan your ticket purchase for the stands in good time
PSV vs Groningen: an early test of ambitions in Eindhoven
PSV and FC Groningen meet in the third round of the Eredivisie at the Philips Stadion, in a match that already provides a good test for both teams at the start of the season. PSV enter the new campaign as defending champions, while Groningen are trying to confirm that last season's ninth-place finish can be turned into a more stable stay in the top half of the table. The match is scheduled for 23 August at 14:30 in Eindhoven.
The home side have four points after two rounds. PSV opened the season with a 2-2 draw against Fortuna Sittard and then beat Excelsior 2-1 in Rotterdam. Groningen defeated FC Utrecht 2-1 in the first round in front of a sold-out Euroborg, while their second-round match against ADO Den Haag is played on 16 August, after the point at which this preview was prepared. Therefore, their exact points total before arriving in Eindhoven will also depend on that result.
Tickets for this match have been in demand among supporters. It is an early-season fixture in which PSV, for the first time since the opening of the league campaign, want to demonstrate control on their home ground, while Groningen arrive without the pressure of being favourites and with evidence that they can punish mistakes made by high-quality opponents.
What is at stake for both teams
PSV finished last season at the top with 84 points and as many as 101 goals scored in 34 league matches. Groningen were ninth with 48 points. That difference says enough about the initial expectations: Peter Bosz leads a team that must go for victory in almost every round, while Dick Lukkien can build the match from compactness and wait for moments when PSV leave space after losing the ball.
The early results also show why this match is not automatically decided. PSV had a long period of possession dominance against Fortuna, but Bosz warned after the match that his team had allowed the opponent too many chances. The response came in the second round with a victory over Excelsior. Ruben van Bommel scored to put PSV ahead, Excelsior equalised, and Ricardo Pepi soon afterwards scored to make it 2-1.
For Groningen, the victory over Utrecht was a very concrete signal. Brynjólfur Willumsson scored as early as the eighth minute, Thom van Bergen made it 2-0 at the start of the second half, and the team withstood the final pressure after Utrecht pulled one back. It was not a victory produced by one fortunate shot: Groningen had several moments in which they attacked the space behind the defence, while Etienne Vaessen had to react when Utrecht increased the tempo in the second half.
PSV: Pepi and Van Bommel bring early attacking form
The most interesting story in PSV's attack in the first two rounds is Ricardo Pepi. The American striker, who played for Groningen earlier in his career, scored the winning goal against Excelsior. That is an important detail for Bosz because Alassane Pléa is once again out of the squad. PSV announced on 14 August that Pléa had been injured in training and would not play at least until the next international break, so his appearance against Groningen is not a realistic option.
Van Bommel showed against Excelsior why he can be important when PSV need verticality from the wing. Pepi provides depth and finishing in the penalty area, while Bosz's system demands that the ball be moved forward quickly after being won. The problem arises when a large number of players remain ahead of the ball and the opponent finds open space after getting beyond the first wave of pressure.
That is precisely one of the things Groningen will try to exploit. PSV are expected to have more possession and longer attacking sequences, but the result of their first home match against Fortuna showed that simply having a lot of the ball is not enough. The home side must protect the space behind the midfield better and not allow every lost ball to turn into a race towards their own penalty area.
Groningen: Lukkien builds from defensive organisation
During pre-season, Dick Lukkien emphasised that the team wanted to maintain a solid defensive organisation while playing more dominantly with the ball. Several elements of that plan were visible against Utrecht. Willumsson attacked space as the central striker, Van Bergen arrived in finishing positions, Jorg Schreuders took part in the move for the second goal, and Pelle Clement made his debut in midfield.
Goalkeeper Etienne Vaessen is also an important figure. Utrecht created pressure in the second half and forced him into saves, while Groningen had to see out the closing stages without comfort. Such a match can be useful preparation for Eindhoven, where periods without the ball will almost certainly be longer.
Groningen's squad situation comes with several important notes. The most firmly confirmed long-term absentee is captain Stije Resink, who the club said before the first round would not play during the first half of the season. Oskar Zawada had a minor injury at the time and was being assessed week by week, while Malcolm Jeng was in the final stage of his recovery and was not expected to feature in the opening league matches. For Zawada and Jeng, it is therefore sensible to check for updated information immediately before the trip to Eindhoven rather than declaring them definite absentees for the third round in advance.
- Stije Resink - confirmed to be out of matches during the first half of the season.
- Oskar Zawada - had a minor injury at the beginning of August, with his status assessed week by week.
- Malcolm Jeng - was in the final stage of rehabilitation at the beginning of the season.
- Alassane Pléa - PSV confirmed that he will not play at least until the next international break.
Head-to-head meetings strongly favour PSV
Groningen do not travel to Eindhoven with a good run of head-to-head results. PSV have won the last five league meetings between these teams, and two home victories at the Philips Stadion before last season were particularly convincing.
- 8 February 2026: FC Groningen - PSV 1-2
- 23 August 2025: PSV - FC Groningen 4-2
- 5 April 2025: FC Groningen - PSV 1-3
- 23 November 2024: PSV - FC Groningen 5-0
- 11 February 2023: PSV - FC Groningen 6-0
The most recent meeting, however, provides more useful tactical material than the winning streak alone. Groningen took the lead in February through Younes Taha, before PSV turned the match around in the second half with goals from Ismael Saibari and Dennis Man. PSV had 64 percent possession and more shots on target, but victory did not come easily. For Lukkien, it is a reminder that his team can stay in the match if they do not allow the home side's early wave of pressure to overwhelm them.
Where the match could be decided
The first key is the space left after PSV lose the ball. Bosz's team want to attack with many players, and Groningen have forwards who can move quickly towards goal. Willumsson's finishing against Utrecht and Van Bergen's movement show that the visitors do not need ten passes before creating a chance.
The second key is PSV's quality in the final third. Pepi has already scored in the second round, Van Bommel has also opened his account, and the home side will try to stretch the visitors with wide positions and runs by players between the lines. If Groningen sit too deep, the number of defensive actions inside their own penalty area will quickly rise.
The third key is the opening goal. The history of the head-to-head matches shows how dangerous PSV can become when they gain space to attack early against a team that then has to push higher. On the other hand, Groningen scored first in the most recent meeting and forced PSV into a patient comeback. For the visitors, the opening twenty minutes or so are therefore especially important: they must not allow the stadium and the home pressure together to accelerate the match beyond the rhythm that suits them.
Philips Stadion: a compact large stadium in central Eindhoven
The Philips Stadion is located at Frederiklaan 10a and has a capacity of 35,000. Its distinctive feature for travellers is its location in an urban part of Eindhoven rather than in a separate complex outside the city. This means that arrival should be planned together with the traffic restrictions in force on matchday.
For a match starting at 14:30, according to PSV's information the entrances open 1.5 hours before kick-off, therefore at around 13:00. Arriving earlier makes sense because of entrance checks, finding the correct section and the closure of certain roads around the stadium.
- Address: Philips Stadion, Frederiklaan 10a, Eindhoven.
- Capacity: 35,000 seats.
- Entrances for visitors open 1.5 hours before the start of the match.
- On matchdays, PSV-laan on the north side of the stadium is partially closed to cars, scooters and bicycles.
- The parking spaces available to PSV on matchdays are intended for permanent users, so drivers are advised to use public car parks in the surrounding area.
If you are arriving by car, it is important to know that the garage next to the Philips Stadion is accessed via Anton Philipslaan. Paid parking applies in the surrounding neighbourhoods, and the traffic arrangements around the stadium are not the same as on ordinary days. There is a bicycle parking area at the intersection of PSV-laan and Vonderweg, accessed via Vonderweg.
Seats in the stands disappear quickly when PSV play a home league match in a popular time slot. It is worth securing tickets in good time and allowing enough time for arrival, especially if travelling to Eindhoven by car.
What to expect in the stands
PSV scored 101 goals in the most recent league season, so the crowd at the Philips Stadion enter the new campaign expecting attacking football. The draw with Fortuna in the first round raises expectations further: the home supporters will not be satisfied with long periods of passive possession if Groningen are able to break out on counter-attacks.
Groningen opened the season in front of 22,525 spectators in a sold-out Euroborg. That victory over Utrecht is also important for the atmosphere around the team because it confirmed that the energy from the stands can be transferred onto the pitch. The context will be different in Eindhoven, but the visitors arrive with clear evidence that an intense match against a high-quality opponent does not necessarily trouble them.
For the neutral spectator, Pepi's connection with Groningen is also interesting. He already showed his goalscoring form in the second round and now faces a club he previously represented. If he is in the starting line-up, his duel with the visitors' defensive line will be one of the main individual stories of the match.
Practical plan for matchday
The simplest plan is to arrive in the wider centre of Eindhoven early enough, expect heavier traffic around the stadium and not rely on being able to park immediately next to the stands. The gates open at around 13:00, so arriving by then leaves enough time for the security check and finding your seat before the 14:30 kick-off.
If you are travelling from another city, check traffic conditions and any possible roadworks before departure. PSV specifically warn that access arrangements around the stadium change on matchdays. For drivers, it is more practical to choose a public car park in the surrounding area in advance than to search for a space next to the stadium after road closures have begun.
Ticket sales for this match are ongoing. On matchday, it is worth checking the final line-ups and Groningen's injury status again, especially Zawada and Jeng, because their situations were changing at the beginning of the season. For PSV, Pléa's absence has already been confirmed, while Pepi's goal against Excelsior gives the home side a clear first option at centre-forward.
Sources:
- PSV - 2026/2027 season schedule, information about the match against FC Groningen and the 2025/2026 season table.
- FC Groningen - report on the 2-1 victory over FC Utrecht and information on scorers, debutants and attendance.
- PSV - medical update on Alassane Pléa's injury.
- FC Groningen - information on the squad situations of Stije Resink, Oskar Zawada and Malcolm Jeng ahead of the start of the season.
- PSV - information on the Philips Stadion, capacity, access, parking and entrance opening times.
- PSV and NOS - information on the most recent head-to-head meeting, FC Groningen - PSV 1-2.
- Football Web Pages and AS - results from the opening rounds of the 2026/2027 Eredivisie and the teams' current points totals.