PSV Eindhoven reclaimed top spot in the Eredivisie with a commanding 4-1 victory over Sparta Rotterdam on Sunday. A Sven Mijnans hat-trick and a maiden goal for Kodai Sano secured the three points at the Philips Stadion for Peter Bosz's side.
Sparta Rotterdam took a surprise lead after fifteen minutes through Milan Zonneveld, capitalising on a mistake from goalkeeper Matej Kovar. PSV piled on the pressure and equalised in the twenty-third minute. Mijnans headed home from an Esmir Bajraktarevic cross. Before half-time, PSV turned the game around. Kodai Sano fired in his first goal for the club from the edge of the box, again assisted by Bajraktarevic.
After the break, PSV remained dominant and Sparta created few opportunities. Mijnans netted his second goal in the seventy-fourth minute following sustained pressure. He completed his hat-trick two minutes from time, slotting home after a clearance from Lutsharel Geertruida fell perfectly to him.
Bosz had rotated his starting line-up following the midweek Champions League draw with Shakhtar Donetsk. Ivan Perisic, Ricardo Pepi and Ruben van Bommel began on the bench, entering the fray around the hour mark. Noah Fernandez and Paul Wanner also featured. The manager praised the impact of his substitutes. "Fernandez came on strong, just like Pepi and Perišić, for example," Bosz said. "It’s a luxury to have such good players on the bench who can then come on and make such a strong impact."
He was full of praise for Mijnans. "From day one, he’s been working incredibly hard, and that’s the foundation," Bosz explained. The midfielder is now PSV's top scorer this season with four goals in five appearances. The coach did voice a concern about defensive transitions. "We’re taking the three points, and that’s important, but especially during transitions, we gave away too many chances," he reacted. "Against Shakhtar, we sprinted back much faster after losing possession, and we did so with an intensity that we perhaps lacked a bit tonight."
PSV registered 24 shots and enjoyed 77 percent possession. Sparta had further chances through headers from Zonneveld and Marvin Young, but both were cleared off the line. The win keeps PSV first in the league standings with sixteen points from six matches. They have a goal difference of plus fifteen, having scored twenty-two and conceded seven. Their last five league games have yielded four wins and a draw. The full standings are available here.
The next challenge is an away fixture against FC Twente, who currently sit fifth. That match is scheduled for Sunday, 20 September. For that encounter, Jerdy Schouten and Kiliann Sildillia remain unavailable. The current squad list and upcoming fixtures can be found online.
Background and full detail: roundtable.io
