PSV came to Rotterdam and did what the league leaders do best, dominating possession and creating chance after chance. Excelsior started brightly enough and actually took the game to their visitors in patches, but you could feel the pressure building. The hosts got in front somehow through a scrambled effort in the first half, but PSV's class showed through as they turned it around before the break. It was one-way traffic for large spells, with Joey Veerman pulling the strings in midfield and orchestrating wave after wave of attacking play. The second half was much of the same. PSV added a second goal to seal it 1-2 and could have had more on another day with the chances they squandered. Excelsior grabbed a late consolation to make the scoreline respectable, but this was always going to be a difficult afternoon against a side of PSV's quality. The visitors had seven corners to Excelsior's one and rarely looked troubled, even when the hosts pressed late on. Three points in the bag, and the gap at the top stays healthy.
The Matchup
PSV Eindhoven beat Excelsior 1-2 at Van Donge & De Roo Stadion, and the numbers from the match back up how the game played out. Even without the extra share of possession, which finished 41% in favour of Excelsior, PSV Eindhoven made the most of the chances that mattered and did enough to see the game out. The shot count told a similar story, with 5 attempts from Excelsior against 20 from PSV Eindhoven over the course of the game. Excelsior had their moments and did not make it easy from start to finish, but ultimately came up short on the day. Small margins like this one tend to add up over a season, and results such as this are often what separates teams in the table further down the line. Here is a closer look at exactly how the two sides compared, statistically.
Man of the Match
Match Statistics
Match Events
| Min | Team | Card | Event | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5' | PSV Eindhoven | Goal — R. van Bommel | 0-1 | |
| 46' | Excelsior | Substitution — A. Sliti on, N. Martens off | 0-1 | |
| 46' | Excelsior | Substitution — I. Silva Timas on, O. Turay off | 0-1 | |
| 54' | Excelsior | Goal — C. Widell (assist: I. Yegoian) | 1-1 | |
| 56' | PSV Eindhoven | Goal — R. Pepi (assist: S. Dest) | 1-2 | |
| 63' | PSV Eindhoven | Substitution — P. Wanner on, K. Sano off | 1-2 | |
| 63' | PSV Eindhoven | Substitution — R. van Bommel on, A. Bouhamdi off | 1-2 | |
| 68' | Excelsior | Substitution — D. Garden on, N. Groen off | 1-2 | |
| 72' | PSV Eindhoven | Substitution — I. Perisic on, D. Man off | 1-2 | |
| 74' | Excelsior | Substitution — L. Hartjes on, A. Jahanbakhsh off | 1-2 | |
| 80' | Excelsior | Substitution — D. van Vianen on, Y. Finey off | 1-2 | |
| 80' | Excelsior | Substitution — S. Janssen on, M. Dominguez off | 1-2 | |
| 84' | PSV Eindhoven | Substitution — R. Pepi on, S. Mijnans off | 1-2 | |
| 88' | Excelsior | Jan Plug | 1-2 | |
| 89' | PSV Eindhoven | Substitution — S. Dest on, K. Sildillia off | 1-2 |
Excelsior vs PSV Eindhoven Lineups
Looking Ahead
Excelsior have a quick chance to build on this result. Their next test comes at home to Sparta Rotterdam, and how they respond after this result will be worth watching. You can follow the build-up and everything you need to know when Excelsior vs Sparta Rotterdam going to play at 29 August 2026 in Eredivisie 2026-27.
PSV Eindhoven, meanwhile, does not have long to wait before getting back out onto the pitch. They are next in action away at Utrecht, a game that will give an early sense of how they carry this result forward. Full details are here: Utrecht vs PSV Eindhoven going to play at 30 August 2026 in Eredivisie 2026-27.