PSV Eindhoven’s start to the 2026-27 season has been messy enough to raise a few questions, but Sunday’s visit from Groningen is still the kind of fixture that can reset the conversation quickly. The defending Eredivisie champions are back at Philips Stadion after taking four points from their first six and, on paper at least, this is exactly the type of home match they are expected to handle.
That expectation is built on more than reputation. PSV ended their slow opening with a 2-1 win over SBV Excelsior in Rotterdam last time out, a result that at least restored some momentum after the 4-0 loss to AZ Alkmaar in the Johan Cruyff Shield and the 2-2 draw with Fortuna Sittard. They are still trying to settle after losing Ismael Saibari to Bayern Munich and Joey Veerman to Borussia Dortmund in the off-season, and that makes every early league game feel a little more important than usual.
Even so, Groningen do not arrive as simple visitors. They have made a winning start with two victories from two, which gives this match some genuine intrigue. But the broader history still leans heavily toward PSV. Groningen have lost five straight meetings and nine of the last 10 against the Boeren, a run that includes PSV’s 4-2 win in October 2022. Groningen’s last victory in Eindhoven came back in March 2014, which is a long time to wait for a breakthrough at a ground that has rarely offered them much hope.
Why PSV remain the more complete side
The gap between the teams is not just historical; it is also structural. PSV may not yet look fully fluent, but they still have the deeper squad and the more established winning culture. Peter Bosz has already shown that his team can respond after setbacks, and that matters in a season where the margin for error is not yet large. Their latest result also matters psychologically: beating SBV Excelsior 2-1 was not spectacular, but it was a needed step away from the uncertainty of the opening fortnight.
For Groningen, the challenge is to turn a promising start into something sturdier against elite opposition. Two wins from two is a strong platform, but this is a different level of test, especially away from home and against a team that has dominated this match-up for years. If Groningen can keep PSV uncomfortable, they will at least reinforce the idea that they are improving. If PSV take control early, though, the match could look very familiar very quickly.
That is the real tension here. PSV are still searching for their first home win of the 2026-27 season, and Groningen are carrying enough confidence to make this more than a routine assignment. But form and history point in opposite directions, and in Eindhoven, history has usually had the louder voice. Sunday should tell us whether PSV’s rocky start is a temporary wobble or the beginning of something more complicated.
