Kodai Sano has scored his first goal for PSV Eindhoven. The Japanese midfielder fired his team towards a 4-1 victory over Sparta Rotterdam at the Philips Stadion on Saturday.
Sano, who transferred from NEC Nijmegen this summer, found the net in the 39th minute with a low shot from outside the box. That strike put PSV 2-1 ahead, after Sparta had taken an early lead through Milan Zonneveld. Sven Mijnans had already equalised and would later add two more goals to complete a personal hat-trick.
The 22-year-old Sano also made his Champions League debut on Thursday in the 1-1 draw with Shakhtar Donetsk. He is the younger brother of Kaishu Sano, who plays for Mainz and the Japan national team. Kodai Sano himself has earned two caps but missed the squad for the 2025 World Cup.
With this win, PSV Eindhoven maintains top spot in the Eredivisie. The team has sixteen points from six games and a goal difference of plus fifteen. Sven Mijnans is the current top scorer with four goals. The next fixture is an away match against FC Twente, who sit fourth in the table. The current standings and full squad are available on this site.
Background and full detail: english.kyodonews.net
