PSV dominate and end FC Groningen's dream start with daunting win

[p]Champions [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/psv/M9UEHJWi/"]PSV[/a] faced [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/groningen/MBUGcjb9/"]FC Groningen[/a] in hot form, with the [i]Pride of the North[/i] entering the weekend as the joint leaders of the Eredivisie table with two wins from two games.[/p][p]For PSV, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sano-kodai/vBwiuxMd/"]Kodai Sano[/a] made his maiden start for the club, while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/geertruida-lutsharel/zwx6dFjk/"]Lutsharel Geertruida[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kostic-filip/zTWzdAKe/"]Filip Kostic[/a] started on the bench for the first time.[/p][p]Groningen continued their fine form early in Eindhoven, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/willumsson-brynjolfur/6ZZO2WUq/"]Brynjolfur Willumsson[/a] handing the visitors the lead inside 10 minutes, calmly finishing a carefully set-up attack.[/p][p]PSV got back alongside FC Groningen very soon, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/blokzijl-thijmen/Wx4sU0Ha/"]Thijmen Blokzijl[/a] standing in the wrong place at the wrong time for a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/van-bommel-ruben/djWkTIzc/"]Ruben van Bommel[/a], which ricocheted into [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vaessen-etienne/rNBeXDEh/"]Etienne Vaessen[/a]'s goal off the defender's foot.[/p][embed guid="da018f69-4cea-4410-a5eb-723983254129" url="https://x.com/ESPNnl/status/2091508399968026688?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]The Eindhoven giants were inches away from taking the lead not much later, but [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pepi-ricardo/GE8fEuGS/"]Ricardo Pepi[/a]'s shot was expertly saved by Etienne Vaessen before a multitude of shots from up close were blocked by Blokzijl and Vaessen, who cleared an attempt from Pepi just before the line.[/p][p]PSV finally took the lead after 35 minutes, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/perisic-ivan/4AbKyVr9/"]Ivan Perisic[/a] tapping the ball into an empty net after another line-breaking Ruben van Bommel run down the left side.[/p][p]A mistimed tackle from Hungarian full-back [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/csinger-mark/W8aVwg0d/"]Mark Csinger[/a] cost FC Groningen dearly on the cusp of half-time, with PSV being given a penalty after Csinger planted his studs on [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mijnans-sven/OhTLBILt/"]Sven Mijnans[/a]' ankle. Ricardo Pepi stepped up and made no mistake, scoring the 3-1.[/p][embed guid="b4dcc8c1-3fb5-4399-bf15-ea722f44f5bc" url="https://x.com/ESPNnl/status/2091525426271117609?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]FC Groningen's hopes of making a famous comeback were reduced to dreams just minutes into the second half, when they were checkmated in the 53rd minute by Perisic, who scored his second of the afternoon by calmly putting the ball in Vaessen's corner.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dest-sergino/lOQwOgTR/"]Sergino Dest[/a] then piled onto Groningen's misery with PSV's fifth goal, combining with Ruben van Bommel on the counter to outplay Vaessen and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/prins-wouter/r7E2LmBh/"]Wouter Prins[/a] and put the ball in an empty goal.[/p][p]PSV eased out the match, and after Kostic and Geertruida were handed their debuts, the final whistle was soon blown at a final score of 5-1. Next up for PSV is an away game against FC Utrecht, which will be the champions' last test before their away game against title contender Ajax.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/groningen-MBUGcjb9/psv-M9UEHJWi/?mid=hdZnTHXr"]Check the full match statistics on Flashscore[/a][/b][/p][image alt="Key match stats" id="0e2ad9d1-969c-49d4-9d54-a62967293d0f" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="6c328ed1-4d75-4771-b0cb-12926e6f7925" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /]