While the Viors have a 10-point lead in first place, AZ sits third in the standings and is motivated to react to their early elimination from Europe.
No one at PSV will have any good luck this season unless they deliver the silverware, but that’s looking more and more likely with each passing week.
Last week’s 2-0 win over Heerenveen extended their winning streak in the Dutch top flight to 15 games, with PSV conceding just six goals in that period.
Peter Bosz won’t be too scared by the fact that he’s only scored five goals in his last three games, and there will also be games against Feyenoord and Arsenal.
Although Tuesday’s match against Arsenal was necessarily a Champions League without matches, with both groups already qualified for the round of 16, PSV would have wanted to show their skills to the Premier League giants, and that is precisely what they did in the 1-1 draw. .
PSV are unbeaten in 16 games in all competitions since losing 4-0 to Arsenal in the away game in England, but Bosz and his side will admit that their next game remains one of the toughest on their domestic calendar.
This is despite AZ disappointingly leaving the Europa Conference League at the organisational level by losing 2-0 to Legia Warsaw in Poland.
After reaching the semi-finals last season, Pascal Jansen suffers a major blow to his team at AZ, but he hopes this will become a blessing in disguise in his efforts to finish in the top three.
In all competitions, AZ have won just 3 of their last 10 games, with home wins coming against FC Volendam, Zrinjski Mostar and Almere City.
With just 10 goals conceded in 15 Eredivisie games in 2023-24, they will be hoping to face PSV’s attacking threat at a ground where they have conceded 19 goals in 8 games.
Given that first-choice goalkeeper Mathew Ryan suffered an eye injury last weekend, Rome Owusu-Oduro could have a moment out straight between the sticks.
Jens Odgaard may return to the starting lineup, particularly having provided two assists against Almere City in the most recent Eredivisie fixture.
Djordje Mihailovic and Ruben van Bommel will also hope to return in the final third after dropping out versus Legia Warsaw.
Bosz will revert back to a similar PSV XI that started the Heerenveen game after choosing to make changes for the Arsenal fixture.
Sergino Dest, Olivier Boscagli and Luuk de Jong are expected to return, while Yorbe Vertessen entered the competition with a goal opposite to the Gunners.
Possible AZ Alkmaar XI: Owusu-Oduro; Sugawara, go, penetrate, Wolfe; Clasie, tapirs; Odgaard, Mihailovic, Van Bommel; Pavlidis
Possible PSV Eindhoven lineup: Benitez; Dest, Ramalho, Boscagli, Van Aanholt; To, Veerman, Saibari; Bakayoko, De Jong, Tillman
Jansen will be looking forward to a result that will help ease any burden on his shoulders. However, we can’t stand in the way of a frenetic PSV that will far outperform one of their title rivals. For research on probable maximum results, scores and more for this match, click here.