PSV begin Eredivisie title defense with emphatic 6–1 win over Sparta Rotterdam

Reigning champions PSV opened their new Eredivisie campaign with a convincing win over Sparta Rotterdam on Saturday. Peter Bosz’s side triumphed 6–1, aided by two mistakes from goalkeeper Joël Drommel, who is on loan from PSV.

PSV led 4–0 after 50 minutes through goals from Ruben van Bommel, Ivan Perisic, Sergiño Dest, and Joey Veerman. Sayfallah Ltaief scored for Sparta in the 63rd minute, before substitutes Guus Til and Yarek Gasiorowski completed the scoreline.

PSV had secured last season’s league title on the final matchday with a 3–1 away win over Sparta. Luuk de Jong and Malik Tillman scored the second and third goals in that match but have since left the club. Alassane Pléa led the attack in this season’s opener, as he did in last week’s 2–1 Johan Cruijff Schaal victory over Go Ahead Eagles. Ricardo Pepi was not fit enough to be included in the squad.

Van Bommel, recovered from a back injury, started on the left wing ahead of Couhaib Driouech. The other ten starters were the same as in the match against the cup winners from Deventer.

For Sparta, Drommel started in goal. He was caught off guard by Van Bommel in the third minute (1–0). The keeper was poorly positioned and then collided nose-first with the post. After treatment, he was able to continue.

PSV dominated after the early goal but created few chances. Shortly before halftime, the hosts doubled their lead when Perisic headed in from a Veerman corner. In stoppage time of the first half, Dest made it 3–0 after a neat combination with Pléa. The right-back had also scored the winning goal against Go Ahead Eagles last weekend to give PSV their first trophy of the season.

Veerman struck again in the 50th minute to make it 4–0 after another Drommel error. Ltaief, signed from FC Twente, pulled one back for Sparta in the 63rd minute, his first for the club.

Til scored just three minutes after coming on, and Gasiorowski, signed from Valencia, sealed the final score. Like Perisic’s earlier goal, his came following a corner in which he was completely unmarked.