Preview: PSV Eindhoven vs. PEC Zwolle – prediction, team news, lineups & more related news here

Eredivisie Champions PSV Eindhoven host PEC Zwolle at the Philips Stadion in Thursday’s top-flight match, aiming to continue their positive finish to the season.

With the title already secured, Peter Bosz’s men reach matchday 31 with consecutive victories and are looking for third at the expense of the draw specialists from Zwolle, whose safety is not yet mathematically assured.

Match preview

Although PSV’s 27th crown in the top flight was already assured before its recent 2-0 success over Sparta Rotterdam, that result extended their lead at the top of the standings. classification to 19 points after Feyenoord drew again against third-placed NEC.

Bosz’s men were always primed to lift a third successive crown, having built a good lead over their Rotterdam rivals, but their path to title number 27 appeared to take a negative turn when the Eindhoven giants were eliminated in the semi-finals of the KNVB Beker.

They lost 3-2 to NEC, followed by two defeats in three Eredivisie games, including another defeat against the Nijmegen club and a defeat 3-1 away on Telstar.

Since then, Bosz’s troops have responded with a rampage 4-3 victory against FC Utrecht, against whom they lost 2-0 before turning the game around and scoring the winning goal in the 94th minute thanks to Couhaib Driouech.

The Farmers have since defeated Sparta 2-0 for their first clean sheet since February’s 3-0 win over Feyenoord, and the Eredivisie champions go into Thursday’s game looking to record consecutive league shutouts for the first time in 2026.

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Aware that their hosts are seeking their first consecutive clean sheet since November-December, Zwolle heads into Round 31 intent on denying the defending champions their first win since the start of the year.

That aspiration is easier said than done for Henry van der Vegt’s team, given the historical record of this match: the Zwolle club has suffered nine defeats in the last 10 matches since December 2019.

The Bluefingers’ only win during that period came in last season’s game in Zwolle, ending an 18-game losing streak against the Dutch giants. Unable to secure another victory over Bosz’s men, PEC now head to Eindhoven on Thursday, looking to avoid defeat on a ground where they have not won since a 3-1 win in January 2013, a 13-year wait to win at the Philips Stadion.

Such a positive result will certainly ensure their safety in the division as nine points remain up for grabs after the next round of matches.

Thirteenth-placed Zwolle enter this round nine points clear of the automatic relegation places and seven clear of 16th-placed Telstar in the play-off spot, virtually guaranteeing that the Blauwvingers will retain their three-year status in the top flight.

PSV Eindhoven Eredivisie form:

PSV Eindhoven form (all competitions):

PEC Zwolle Eredivisie form:

Team news

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Paul Wanner will miss Thursday’s game after receiving a yellow card against Sparta, while Alassane Plea, Ruben van Bommel and Jerdy Schouten are injured.

The Eindhoven giants will assess Ismael Saibari following his late withdrawal against Sparta on April 11, while Sergino Dest could make his first appearance since early March following a hamstring injury.

If top scorer Saibari (15 goals) is out, Bosz still has several match-winning stars in the team, with Guus Til (13 goals) and Ricardo Pepi (11) capable of contributing to game-winners.

While Jasper Schendelaar will not be in the Zwolle team due to a quadriceps injury, the visiting team will evaluate Shola Shoretire’s knee injury and Jamiro Monteiro and Samir Lagsir’s muscle discomfort.

Although Koen Kostons remains the Bluefingers’ top scorer, the 11-goal striker has only scored once since scoring a brace against Telstar in January.

Thijs Oosting, however, is also capable of helping decide games: the attacking midfielder has eight this season, three of which have come in the same number of appearances.

Possible starting lineup for PSV Eindhoven:

Kovar; Sidillia, Flamingo, Gasiorowski, Junior; Fernández, Veerman; Man, Til, Perisic; Pepi

Possible starting lineup for PEC Zwolle:

De Graaff; Aertssen, Graves, McNulty, Floranus; Thomas, Buurmeester; Namli, Oosting, Velanas; Kostons

We say: PSV Eindhoven 3-1 PEC Zwolle

PSV should have too much offensive quality against Zwolle, especially at the Philips Stadion, where the champions have won so many times in this match.

Even if the visitors remain competitive for some periods and prevent the Eindhoven giants from keeping consecutive clean sheets, Bosz’s team will be expected to pull through and claim a routine victory.

For a data analysis of the most likely outcomes, scores and more for this match, click here.