PSV Eindhoven, Athletic’s first overseas opponents of 2025/26 pre-season

This Saturday, Athletic Club travel to the Philips Stadion, where we’ll face reigning Eredivisie champions PSV Eindhoven at 17:30 CEST.

Following on from clashes with SD Ponferradina (1-0 win) and Deportivo Alaves (1-0 loss), this is the Lions’ first overseas trip of the pre-season and the first of four warm-up fixtures against Champions League level opponents, with Athletic also set to face Premier League champions Liverpool FC in a double header at Anfield on August 4 (18:00 CEST and 21:00 CEST) and Arsenal FC at the Emirates Stadium on August 9 (18:00 CEST).

Based in the city of Eindhoven, the Netherlands’ fifth largest city, PSV (Philips Sport Vereniging) are one of the nation’s ‘Big Three’ teams along with AFC Ajax and Feyenoord.

Formed in 1913 by employees at electronics company Philips, PSV are the second most decorated side in Dutch football history with a whopping 50 trophies in their cabinet, including 26 Eredivisie titles, 11 KNVB Cups, 14 Johan Cruyff Shields, one European Cup (1987/88) and one UEFA Cup (1977/78).

Peter Bosz’s charges lifted the 2024/25 Eredivisie after pipping Ajax to the title on the final day of the season, finishing the campaign with 79 points after 25 victories, four draws, five losses and an incredible 103 goals for.

In last season’s Champions League, they finished 14th in the League Phase thanks to wins over Girona (4-0), Shakhtar Donetsk (3-2), Red Star Belgrade (2-3) and Liverpool FC (3-2). PSV then defeated Juventus 4-3 over two legs in the knockout phase play-offs before being eliminated from the tournament by Arsenal in the round of 16.
 

Previous Meetings

The Zurigorri have faced Rood-witten (Red and whites) on three previous occasions, all of them pre-season friendlies.
In August 1978, Athletic defeated PSV 4-2 at San Mames thanks to a Jose Maria Nuñez goal plus a Carlos Ruiz hat-trick.
We met again in Bilbao 18 years later, with the Dutch side winning 0-2 at The Cathedral with Arthur Numan and Phillip Cocu getting on the scoresheet.

Our most recent clash came ahead of the 2012/13 season. PSV beat Athletic 1-0 at the Stadion Miejski in Wroclaw. Georginio Wijnaldum scored their goal in the 46th minute.
 

Current squad

Bosz has a strong roster at his disposal, combining international experience with talented youngsters.
Last season’s top scorer and captain Luuk de Jong, along with Croatian legend Ivan Ivan Perišić and recent signing Alassane Pléa stand out as the senior heads among a young squad.

Other full internationals include Sergiño Dest (United States), Ricardo Pepi (United States), Esmir Bajraktarević (Bosnia) Matěj Kovář (Czech Republic), Ismael Saibari (Morocco) and Adamo Nagalo (Burkina Faso), in addition to Dutch capped players such as Guus Til, Jerdy Schouten and Joey Veerman.

Ryan Flamingo, 22, Couhaib Driouech, 23, Isaac Babadi, 20, and Tygo Land, 19, are among the latest generation of youngsters to break into the first-team, while Bosz has also made reinforcements this summer, bringing in Ruben Van Bommel (from AZ Alkmaar), Yarek Gasiorowski (from Valencia), Kiliann Sildillia (from SC Freiburg) and Nick Olij (from Sparta Rotterdam) as well as the previously mentioned Pleá (from Borussia Monchengladbach) and Kovar (from Bayer Leverkusen).
 

European Glory

PSV have experienced two golden periods. The first occurred in the 1970s under the leadership of Kees Rijvers. Rijvers built a squad around mercurial talent Willy van der Kuijlen and from 1972 until 1778, PSV won three Eredivise titles, two KNVB Cups and the 1977/78 UEFA Cup, defeating SC Bastia 3-0 on aggregate in the final.

The second period came under Guus Hiddink towards the end of the 80s. Propelled by talents like Eric Gerets, Ronald Koeman and Wim Kieft, among others, PSV won the European Cup in 1987/88. 

Hiddink’s side beat Galatasaray, Rapid Wien and Girondins Bordeaux before defeating Real Madrid on away goals in the semi-finals. PSV eventually lifted the trophy after a 6-5 penalty shootout win against Benfica in the showpiece match.
 

Philips Stadion

Constructed in 1910 as a football pitch for Philips employees, it was used by PSV’s predecessor club Philips Elftal from 1911 until becoming the current club’s home in 1913.

The 35,000-seater stadium has undergone several major renovations throughout its history, most notably in the ‘70s and ‘90s when the stands were extended and covered. 

The ground is located in the city centre and is just a 15-minute walk from the main train station, Eindhoven Centraal.