Roger Schmidt has announced his line-up for PSV’s match against NEC. Compared to last Thursday’s deception against Real Sociedad (3-0 loss), the coach starts with Marco van Ginkel and Carlos Vinícius in the starting eleven. With a win, PSV will take over the lead from Ajax, as the team from Amsterdam lost to AZ earlier that day. (1-2)
PSV missed the knockout phase in the Europa League last Thursday due to the match in Spain. The Eindhoven team also lost Noni Madueke with a hamstring injury, while the wing striker had just returned from a similar injury. Schmidt’s team did not make the best impression against Sociedad, which gave the trainer enough reason for mutations. Van Ginkel thus takes the place of Erick Gutiérrez.
Captain Van Ginkel forms a block with Ibrahim Sangaré behind Cody Gakpo, Bruma and Ritsu Doan. Vinicius is the lone striker; On Saturday, Götze was still in his position as ‘false nine’. Gakpo moves from the number ten position to the left wing compared to Thursday, at the expense of Ritsu Doan. In defence, Philipp Mwene makes way for Jordan Teze: the right-back is flanked by Olivier Boscagli, André Ramalho and Mauro Júnior. Joël Drommel is on goal, just like Thursday.
If PSV manage to win the duel in Nijmegen, the club can reach 37 points in the Eredivisie. Due to the loss in the Johan Cruijff ArenA, current leader Ajax is stuck on 36 points and can therefore be knocked off the throne by the people of Eindhoven. NEC is currently in eleventh place in the ranking with 19 points, but could rise to ninth with a win.
NEC setup: Branderhorst, Van Rooij, Guth, Odenthal, El Karouani; Schöne, Proper, Bruijn; Tavsan, Mattsson
PSV line-up: Drommel, Teze, Ramalho, Boscagli, Mauro Junior; Sangare, Van Ginkel; Bruma, Gotze, Gakpo; Vinicius