PSV Eindhoven Suffer Third League Loss as PEC Zwolle Earn Crucial Win

PEC Zwolle secured a surprise 3-1 win over Eredivisie leaders PSV Eindhoven, marking their first victory since November and boosting their relegation battle.

Eredivisie leaders PSV Eindhoven suffered their third league defeat of the season, falling 3-1 to PEC Zwolle on the road. This loss marks the third time in four league games that PSV have dropped points, raising concerns about their title campaign. Manager Peter Bosz opted to rest key players Noa Lang and Ismael Saibari ahead of their upcoming Champions League clash against Red Star Belgrade.

Bosz instead handed starts to Guus Til and Ivan Perisic, who had also begun the previous game against Excelsior in the cup. However, PSV's outing in Zwolle got off to a disastrous start, with the team conceding a goal just two minutes into the match. Bulgarian winger Filip Krastev scored a stunning long-range effort to give the home side an early lead.

PSV struggled to breach PEC's defense in the early stages, but they eventually created a scoring opportunity ten minutes after Krastev's opening goal. However, Jokan Bakayoko failed to capitalize on the chance, missing the target after a cross from Ivan Perisic.

PSV persisted and eventually found the equalizer 25 minutes into the match. Bakayoko made amends for his earlier miss by getting on the end of a driven pass from Perisic and firing home to level the score at 1-1. This goal marked a turning point for PSV, who had drawn at home to AZ the previous week.

The momentum seemed to be shifting in PSV's favor when they earned a penalty after Eliano Reijnders kicked Perisic in the calf, which was confirmed by a VAR check. However, Luuk de Jong failed to convert the penalty, sending his shot wide left. This miss marked De Jong's third consecutive game without a goal.

PSV's fortunes took a further downturn when Krastev scored his second goal of the match, restoring PEC's lead. The Bulgarian midfielder pounced on a loose ball from a corner and fired it past goalkeeper Walter Benitez, leaving PSV to chase the game once again.

After the break, PSV created several scoring opportunities and managed to contain PEC, but they struggled to test goalkeeper Mike Hauptmeijer. Despite their efforts, PSV's attack lacked a decisive edge, and they were unable to capitalize on their chances.

Just as substitute Noa Lang began to make an impact, creating a scoring opportunity for fellow substitute Ricardo Pepi, PEC thought they had scored again. Nick Fichtinger headed in a corner just one minute after coming on, but the home fans' celebrations were short-lived. Referee Jeroen Manschot disallowed the goal, ruling that Dylan Mbayo was offside.

PSV's struggles continued, and they conceded a third goal despite their efforts to regain momentum. Filip Krastev broke free from the defense and ran towards the goal with Dylan Vente alongside him. Krastev then passed the ball to Vente, who scored, adding to Krastev's impressive tally of two goals and one assist.

FT.#PECPSV pic.twitter.com/3UTuY1Ya6o

— PSV (@PSV) January 18, 2025

PEC Zwolle's hard-fought victory marked a crucial turning point in their battle against relegation. The win, their first since November, propelled them to thirteenth place in the Eredivisie. Meanwhile, PSV's lead at the top of the table is under threat, with rivals Ajax and FC Utrecht poised to close the gap to one and four points, respectively, depending on the outcomes of their games against Heerenveen and AZ.