Heracles Almelo
- Heracles have conceded at least two goals in four of their last five Eredivisie matches.
- Heracles are mired in the relegation playoff zone in 17th place with only 17 points collected from 24 matches.
- Manager Ernest Faber is under pressure to keep his job after stepping back from first-team duties amid club unrest.
- Heracles’ manager Faber is more of a pragmatist and his side are likely to attempt to keep things tight and hit PSV on the counterattack on Saturday.
PSV Eindhoven
- PSV have won five of their last six Eredivisie fixtures.
- It’s no surprise that PSV Eindhoven, the Eredivisie’s runaway leaders, are heavy favorites for Saturday’s away game against relegation-threatened Heracles Almelo.
- PSV are on around 62 points from their 24 games, a comfortable position in the Eredivisie title race, and can thank a high-intensity, vertically driven style of play for their position at the top of the table.
- Peter Bosz’s tactical philosophy is all about possession, positional rotations and high pressing, which makes PSV one of the most dynamic sides in the Eredivisie.
Head-to-Head
PSV have won the last three Eredivisie head-to-heads by 4-3, 4-1, and 3-1 score-lines.
Key Players
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Heracles
- Jizz Hornkamp is Heracles’ top scorer and the ex-Utrecht frontman will be their best chance of causing the visitors problems.
- Luka Kulenović and Damon Mirani have chipped in with the odd goal when called upon and will have to play a part in the game plan.
- Ajdin Hrustić is Heracles’ leading chance-creator and his skill set will be important for unlocking the PSV defense on the few occasions they have the ball.
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PSV
- Guus Til has hit a rich scoring vein from midfield of late, while Ivan Perišić and Mauro Júnior provide width and set-piece threat in the absence of injured striker Ricardo Pepi.
Betting Insights
- However, the 1.29 odds on the champions-in-waiting are just about on the high side for the fixture and Heracles’ odds of 8.0 look generous for a side in their current plight.
- The Over 2.5 goals market is 1.33 here, which suggests the bookmakers expect the game to be very open and full of goals, and that could well be the case.
Prediction
- However, PSV’s form, head-to-head record, league positions and all other factors, make a comfortable away win the most likely outcome.
- A Heracles goal might be in the offing if the hosts can remain compact and frustrate PSV, but the league leaders have enough quality to break them eventually.
