Dutch Eredivisie Preview: Heracles Struggling to Secure a Win, PSV Eindhoven Aims to Maintain Winning Streak with Dominant Performance

On the evening of August 18th at 18:15, the Dutch Eredivisie will see its second round match-up, with Heracles hosting the visiting PSV Eindhoven.

Heracles drew 0-0 away against Sparta Rotterdam in the first round of this season’s league, failing to secure an opening win. In last season’s Eredivisie, Heracles performed poorly, winning only 9 matches out of 34 with 6 draws and 19 losses, accumulating 33 points to finish 14th in the league. The team barely avoided relegation by a margin of 4 points. This season, their goal is to continue staying in the top flight.

In 34 matches last season, the team scored 41 goals, showing weak offensive performance. Defensively, they conceded 74 goals, making it difficult for the team to achieve victories. During the summer transfer window, there were no significant player acquisitions, only minor adjustments. In pre-season games, Heracles won 1, drew 3, and lost 2 out of 6 matches, not performing impressively.

In terms of injuries, apart from Zambrak being sidelined due to injury and confirmed to miss this match, all other players are available. However, as many as 6 players are on the watch list, and whether these players can participate is crucial for Heracles.

PSV Eindhoven has always been a dominant force in the Eredivisie. In the first round of this season, the team unsurprisingly secured a big win against RKC Waalwijk, getting off to a winning start. Last season, they achieved 29 wins, 4 draws, and 1 loss, finishing with 91 points to claim the league title. They led second-placed Feyenoord by a considerable 7 points, demonstrating their dominance. This season, their goal is to defend their Eredivisie championship.

In 34 matches last season, the team scored 111 goals, averaging over 3 goals per game, a terrifying statistic considering the challenge of maintaining such output throughout a long season. Additionally, they conceded only 21 goals defensively, having the highest number of goals scored and the fewest conceded among all teams.

In terms of injuries, Sebaçi, Obispo, and Mauro are sidelined due to injuries and will not play today, but their return is imminent, and the team will soon clear its injury list.

In the last 10 encounters between the two teams, PSV Eindhoven has dominated with 8 wins and 2 draws. Their strength overwhelmingly surpasses that of their opponents. In the last 5 league meetings, PSV Eindhoven has won all 5, notably scoring a total of 16 goals while conceding only 1, rendering this match virtually devoid of suspense due to the significant gap in strength.

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