Tag Archives: PSV

BETTING TIPS, EUROPA LEAGUE, EUROPA LEAGUE PREVIEW

EUROPA LEAGUE: Preview and Betting Tips

August 20, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

Four Eredivisie teams head into the Europa League playoffs this Thursday and Will Burns and Lawk Raoof is here to inform you which bets provide the key to profit in the first legs.

UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE PLAYOFFS

THURSDAY 21ST AUGUST

QARABAĞ FK vs. FC TWENTE (17:00 BST)

Alfred Schreuder heads into a hard trip to Azerbaijan with the best squad FC Twente has in recent years, however Will Burns suggests that the Horsemen of Azerbaijan will not make it easy for the Enschede boys.

Qarabağ FK’s 2-1 home victory against Austrian champions Red Bull Salzburg was an extraordinary result in the Champions League third qualifying round first leg, particularly as Salzburg battered Ajax 6-1 over two legs in the Europa League last year and in this game, Gurban Gurbanov’s side finished the match with only nine men.

Strangely enough, Qarabağ and Twente have met at this stage before in 2009/10 with the Eredivisie side winning 3-1 in the home leg but held to a goal-less draw in the return leg. I feel that Twente will be two strong over the two legs but may find life difficult in Stadium Tofig Bahramov Republican. Their coach Gubanov at only 42-years-old has had six years at the club and he has them playing attractive football and they are not reliant on one player.

The side has a Brazilian contingent, with winger Danilo Leandro Dias, attacking midfielder Chumbinho, anchorman Richard Almeida and forward Reynaldo vital components in the side. However, against the likes of new signings Hakim Ziyech and Kamohelo Mokotjo, creative midfielder Youness Mokhtar, speedy winger Kasper Kusk and clinical striker Luc Castaignos, Twente should have enough power in their eleven to sneak a narrow win.

Twente are favourites and rightly so, however do not expect a whitewash, the Dutch side to win 1-0 or 2-1. A Twente win is valued at Bet Victor at 17/20 and I feel that is the safest and recommended bet in this first leg tie.

RECCOMMENDED BETS

Twente to win (17/20 – Bet Victor)

PSV vs. FC SHAKHTYOR SOLIGORSK (17:45 BST)

Lawk Raoof tells you to tune in this Thursday night for a solid 3-0 win by PSV against Belarusian Cup winner FC Shakhtyor Salihorsk. Be ready to view the clash between David versus Goliath, PSV versus Shaktyor, a Europa League group place versus nothing.

PSV started the Eredivisie season with a great 3-2 win against Willem II and a beastly 6-1 home-win against NAC Breda with World Cup stars Georginio Wijnaldum and Memphis Depay in a defining role. The first leg of the two games will be at the Phillips Stadium in Eindhoven this Thursday, while the second game will be in Belarus, against 2014 cup-winner FC Shakhtyor Salihorsk. The team started in 1961 and has a small capacity of just 4,200 fans in their stadium.

It should not be any surprise that the team should not be underestimated, with quick wingers and a direct playing style they are a typical counter-team. To comprise the danger coming from this fit team is to look at their win against Zulte Waregem (BEL) with an aggregated 7-4 win and their aggregated win against Irish side Derry City of 6-2. Both games with a flashing counter-attack.

However, with the current form of the PSV players, their teamwork and class they will easily win this game by my prediction by 3-0. The team out of Belarus comes out of a poor quality league and has only came so far by winning both second and third qualifying round games against weak opponents and winning the 2014 national cup.

I recommend placing a small stake on PSV to win 3-0 at 6/1 at Bet Victor. Cocu’s men will explode out of the blocks and this time with great combination game defeat this enemy.

RECCOMMENDED BETS

PSV to win 3-0 (6/1 – Bet Victor)

FC ZORYA LUHANSK vs. FEYENOORD (18:45 BST)

Fred Rutten’s Feyenoord face a tough trip to the Ukraine to face Zoyra Luhansk, a team that struggled to defeat Norweigans Molde FK in the last round in a narrow 2-1 win. Will Burns feels that Rutten’s men may be too strong for the Ukrainians.

The Rotterdammers will have to be aware of striker Pylyp Budkivskiy who has notched once in four games this season so far but is well capable of putting himself about and ruffling the feathers of any defence. The Luhansk side have done their homework and speaking to UEFA.com, the Zorya head coach Yuriy Vernydub seemed confident: “We didn’t expect easy opponents at this stage. Feyenoord are one of the strongest teams in the play-offs. We will do our best to give a respectable account of ourselves. They have some Dutch international players who played in Brazil, but there is nothing to be scared of. Chornomorets Odesa beat PSV last season and we will have our chances.”

Rutten will also be confident heading into Ukraine with talent on the plane like Jordy Clasie, Jean-Paul Boetuis and Lex Immers and I cannot see Feyenoord being troubled too much, however I find it hard to see where the goals may come from. Stand-in striker Mitchell te Vrede has hardly been inspiring this season BUT to his credit he has been in the right place at the right time and scored two goals in two games so far.

Look Feyenoord to win by the single goal and the 1-0 scoreline is 13/2 at Bet Victor may be worth a small stake but taking Feyenoord to win gets you a price of 23/20 which is a safer bet.

RECCOMMENDED BETS

Feyenoord to win (23/20 – Bet Victor)

PEC ZWOLLE vs. SPARTA PRAGUE (19:00 BST)

Excitement is in the air in Zwolle as Ron Jans leads his side into their first ever European adventure against Czech side Sparta Prague, Will Burns predicts it will be a good night for the Blauwvingers.

Domestically, PEC Zwolle are on fire. First defeating Ajax 1-0 in their own backyard for the Johan Cruijff Schaal then clocking up two wins in two games over FC Utrecht and FC Dordrecht. Like Czech football expert Chris Boothroyd mentioned in his piece yesterday, this is possibly the best time to play Sparta Prague. Champions League elimination via Swedish outfit Malmo FF and then crashing to Banik Ostrava at the weekend, Prague are on the ropes and an in-form Zwolle could smell blood and go to kill this tie off in the first leg.

Sparta will be missing influential midfielder Lukas Vacha, who will sit this game out due to a suspension after his last-minute dismissal against Malmo earlier this month. One link between the clubs will be Zwolle’s latest signing, Czech striker Tomas Necid. The big 6ft 3 forward was introduced in Saturday’s 2-1 win over Dordrecht and set up Mustafa Saymak’s 93rd minute winner. Necid grew up supporting Sparta’s bitter rivals Slavia and has also had two spells at the club, including his youth development.

Zwolle have their tails up and with this being their first ever venture into European football, I see Thursday being a special night and a win against their Czech rivals at the hot atmosphere inside the Ijsseldelta Stadion. Bet Victor are offering 8/5 for the home win and it is a fantastic price that cannot be ignored. I cannot see a price for a Tomas Necid anytime goal, however it would be a lovely story if he gets a run out.

RECCOMMENDED BETS

PEC Zwolle to win (8/5 – Bet Victor)

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FEATURE

Will Tottenham and Juventus target Memphis, please stop performing…

August 20, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

Jos Boesveld returns to discuss the amazing talents of PSV Eindhoven winger Memphis Depay.

What makes the Eredivisie our Eredivisie? Is it the combination between young talents and footballers who are at the end of their career? Is it the constant battle between Ajax, Feyenoord, PSV, FC Twente and maybe even Vitesse and AZ? If I had to make a choice, I would say the Eredivisie stands for a few exceptional talents every season. Kevin Strootman, Christian Eriksen, Dries Mertens, all very decent players who are being respected at their new clubs.

And we’ve got one again. His name? Memphis Depay.

I reckon he is the best attacker in the Dutch competition right now. Maybe even the best player overall, but then there’s still Daley Blind and that’s a different story for a different time. Depay shows his skills every week. If even I can see that, how will scouts, who are being paid to watch a lot of football players, look at Depay?

His first big test in the new season will be next Sunday, when he faces Ajax with his PSV. But in his last game against NAC Breda, he showed that little bit extra what makes a player interesting for bigger clubs. It’s no coincidence that it was first ‘only’ Tottenham Hotspur that was linked with Depay and last week the name of Juventus came to my ears.

With two beautiful free kicks he helped PSV get a victory over NAC Breda. It’s moments just like that which decide if a rumour is happening or not.

So all that I’m asking is simple: Memphis Depay, please stop performing in the upcoming matches. Don’t make us lose one of the biggest Dutch talents so soon. I want to enjoy the Eredivisie, with all of her talents. That’s what makes us special, that’s what gives us attention.

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EREDIVISIE, EREDIVISIE REPORT

EREDIVISIE: PSV 6-1 NAC Breda

August 16, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

SATURDAY 16TH AUGUST 2014

PSV 6 – 1 NAC BREDA

A brilliant attacking display from Depay & Co. sends PSV to the top of the table as both Memphis Depay and Georginio Wijnaldum get braces with Jurgen Locadia getting one and Aleksandr Damcevski scoring an own goal while NAC’s star performer Adnane Tighadouini pulled one back for the away side while the game was still at 2-0. The six goals cover up a sloppy defensive display that would have been severely punished against top sides.

PSV came into today’s game knowing a win would send them top after Feyenoord could only draw last night against Heerenveen and the rest of the division were still to play. In their last game PSV beat Willem II 3-1 in a unconvincing performance while NAC Breda suffered a disappointing opening day draw at home against newly-promoted side Excelsior who are the type of team that NAC need to beat to avoid relegation. PSV started the game with a team all either 23 years old or younger which certainly bodes well for the future of PSV.

Before PSV’s first goal on 20 minutes the game was pretty even with both sides only having half-chances. PSV started very sloppily with players giving the ball away too often including left back Tamata who attempted a back pass which went out for a goal kick near the corner flag. Adnane Tighadouini of NAC impressed early on playing on the left side of a front three. He repeatedly got the better of Santiago Arias at right back and was probably the best player in the first half. The best early chance came from NAC’s new man upfront Kingsley Boateng who drove past a couple of defenders before trying an attempt from a tight angle which was well saved by Zoet.

Then came PSV’s first goal which was a result of a misplaced pass from Depay in the middle of NAC’s half, it was intended for Luuk de Jong but it went behind him and Wijnaldum ran into the box before taking it in his stride and slotting the ball home into the bottom right corner of the net. Then came a period of PSV domination in which PSV hardly left NAC’s half. The pressure paid off in the 25th minute when Depay passed to Arias who ran down the wing and crossed it low for de Jong, only for NAC debutant Aleksandar Damchevski to deflect the ball into his own net.

However, NAC did get themselves back into the game in the 29th minute when the impressive Tighadouini got on the ball and slid a pass through to Erik Falkenburg who was running clear before being brought down by a pull from Arias for a penalty. Tighadouini then stepped up to score the penalty, which brought the game into a more level playing field. Their goal was followed up quickly by two chances from Tighadouini who both times cut inside a poor Arias and attempted an effort into the top corner, one of which went just wide while the other was tipped over by Zoet.

The second half started off badly for NAC with Tighadouini had to come off in the 48th minute due to an ankle injury he had sustained in the early stages of the game. Just after the substitution Falkenburg had a great chance to bring NAC level with a close range effort that was well saved by Zoet. This was quickly followed by a brilliant free kick from Memphis Depay, exactly 21.3 metres out thanks to the on-screen graphics, which curled over the wall and into the right hand side of the net to send the home side two goals clear.

This beckoned the crumbling of the NAC defence, two minutes later Jurgen Locadia drove the ball into the top corner from outside the box after he was set up by a lovely deft De Jong back-heel. This was then followed by yet another goal, this time from Wijnaldum to make it 5-1, he received the ball in an area of space inside the box before lifting the ball into the corner of the net, unforgivable defending from NAC. Despite being 5-1 up and in a seemingly comfortable position PSV still appeared vulnerable to attack from NAC and had they been more accurate with their final balls they could’ve had a couple of goals.

In the 73 minute however Depay got his second from an almost identical free kick to his first to finish off the rout. This well and truly took the wind out of NAC’s sails and they barely threatened after this as the game wound down to the final whistle.

Overall, Phillip Cocu will be extremely pleased with his side’s attacking prowess but will be concerned at the ease in which NAC managed to create some of their attacks from the wing especially, both Arias and Tamata were substituted before the end after poor defensive performances.

TEAMS

PSV: Zoet, Arias (Hendrix 73), Bruma, Rekik, Tamata (Brenet 46), Wijnaldum (Vloet 78), Hiljemark, Maher, Locadia, De Jong, Depay.

SUBS NOT USED: Pasveer, Narsingh, Jozefzoon, Vloet, Ritzmaier.

GOALS: Wijnaldum 21 & 57, Damcevski 25OG, Depay 51 & 73, Locadia 53.

BOOKINGS: Arias 29.

NAC: Ten Rouwelaar, Ssewankambo, Drost, Damcevski, Amieux, De Kamps, Falkenburg, Matic, Hooi (Seuntjens 69), Boateng, Tighadouini (Sarpong 49).

SUBS NOT USED: Babos, De Roover, Sarpong, Suk, Swerts, Van der Weg.

GOALS: Tighadouini 30P.

BOOKINGS: None.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Memphis Depay (PSV)

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BETTING TIPS, EREDIVISIE, EREDIVISIE PREVIEW

EREDIVISIE WEEK 2: Saturday’s Preview & Betting Tips

August 15, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

Saturday brings four more games in the Eredivisie Week 2. Will Burns provides his betting tips with Bet Victor providing the prices.

SATURDAY 15TH AUGUST

PSV vs. NAC BREDA (17:30 BST)

Karim Rekik is back in Eindhoven and although PSV have missed out on signing Belgian midfielder Stefan Defour, they have a squad packed full of talent to make a charge for the Eredivisie title. This week, relegation contenders NAC Breda arrive in Eindhoven to try and halt Philip Cocu’s men, Will Burns seems to think De Boeren will not have much trouble on Saturday night.

PSV’s are Ajax main challengers and the signing of Rekik is a welcome addition in the defence. In more good news for Cocu, morale was boosted by skipper Georginio Wijnaldum penning an extension to his contract until 2018. Club officials are hoping the most-wanted winger Memphis Depay follows suit.

Historically, the odds way in the favour of PSV against NAC at the Philips Stadion. The Eindhoven side have been winning at both half time and full time in six of their last eight home matches against Breda in all competitions. In recent times, to stack the odds against Nebojša Gudelj’s side further, NAC have failed to find all three points in their last 12 league games, and with only two wins away all last season, leaving Eindhoven with anything looks highly unlikely.

With Stijn Schaars and Jetro Willems still not fit, expect Cocu to stick with the majority of the same team that defeated ten-man Willem II 3-1 last Sunday. Rekik may replace Jorrit Hendrix in defence alongside Jeffrey Bruma. Although, the performance was the greatest in the Koning Willem II Stadion, PSV will be out to impress in front of their own fans in the first home game of the season. Expect a convincing win for De Boeren and with the returning partnership of Bruma and Rekik, a clean sheet too. PSV to win to nil is valued at 23/20 at Bet Victor and that is our recommended bet in this one.

RECCOMMENDED BETS

PSV to win to nil (23/20 – Bet Victor)

FC DORDRECHT vs. PEC ZWOLLE (18:45 BST)

FC Dordrecht host PEC Zwolle and the Eredivisie newcomers will look up to Ron Jans’ side as a prime example of a promoted side who can make a success of staying up and progressing. Will Burns predicts Zwolle easily overcoming Dordrecht in an entertaining goal-fest.

With attacking midfielder Stef Nijland playing on his own upfront the last two weeks, Ron Jans added a bit of quality in attack this week with Czech international striker Tomáš Necid joining on a loan deal from CSKA Moscow. Once proclaimed a young prodigy by the experts in his homeland, Necid has struggled in Moscow and was farmed out to PAOK and Slavia Prague the past two seasons. Jans will look to last week’s star man Jody Lukoki to supply the balls for the massive 6ft 3inch hitman if he decides to play the Czech up front.

Dordrecht pulled off the shock result of last weekend, turning over Heerenveen on their own patch, so coach Ernie Brandts should employ the same eleven. Though Rick ten Voorde, Rihairo Meulens and Mohamed Hamdaoui will be itching to get on the pitch and may push for a starting place.

I cannot see anything else but a PEC Zwolle win. A team in form after defeating Ajax and FC Utrecht in recent weeks, I see a resounding triumph for Jans’ men with plenty of goals on show. Bet Victor offer 13/8 for the PEC Zwolle victory but I see PEC Zwolle -1 in the Handicap market at a massive 4/1 at our best value bet.

RECCOMMENDED BETS

PEC Zwolle -1 (4/1 – Bet Victor)

FC TWENTE vs. ADO DEN HAAG (18:45 BST)

An unimpressive Twente grabbed a late point last week against Cambuur, but they will have to perform much better against Henk Fraser’s ADO who suffered a late goal themselves last weekend in the 1-0 defeat to Feyenoord.

Playing the majority of the game with ten-men, ADO were incredibly unfortunate not to salvage a point against Feyenoord on Sunday. The game was a testament of all the hard work Henk Fraser has achieved with the team and ADO will head to Enschede looking to get the season back on track.

Twente could be too strong for ADO in this one and could become a real contender this year with the signing of Kamohelo Mokotjo last Friday for a snip at €1.5m. Mokotjo will be pushing for a start in this one and the South African combining with Kasper Kusk, Kyle Ebecilio and Youness Mokhtar is a mouth-watering prospect for striker Luc Castaignos, who should be eating up the chances created.

It was a valiant performance from ADO last weekend, however I see Twente far too strong for Fraser men on Saturday night. A Twente win gives you a short 2/5 at Bet Victor, however for them to win and keep a clean sheet in the process is a healthy 6/4.

RECCOMMENDED BETS

Twente to win to nil (6/4 – Bet Victor)

VITESSE vs. SC CAMBUUR (19:45 BST)

Cambuur grabbed a great point at home to Twente last weekend, however this weekend they travel to Arnhem for a tough test against Vitesse. Will Burns thinks Cambuur will be overpowered by the Vitesse attack.

Finishing must improve from the home side after missing chance after chance in the first-half away to Ajax last weekend. Anyone watching would have thought how Vitesse had not scored three or four before the half-time whistle. This weekend, that must change and if Peter Bosz’s side can create the same amount of opportunities, they should be home and dry against Cambuur in Saturday’s late game.

The home side will have to watch out for Albert Rusnak, star of the show in Cambuur’s 1-1 draw with Twente. The young Slovak on loan from Manchester City stole the headlines with a great performance last weekend, topped off with a wonderful free-kick goal. Unfortunately for Cambuur, Rusnak was the only real threat and I cannot see Vitesse conceding many in this one.

For a Vitesse victory, Bet Victor offer 4/7 although for true value for Vitesse to win by two goals (-1) is at 11/8 which gives us some decent money back.

RECCOMMENDED BETS

Vitesse -1 (11/8 – Bet Victor)

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BETTING TIPS, EREDIVISIE, EREDIVISIE PREVIEW

EREDIVISIE WEEK 1: SUNDAY PREVIEW & BETTING TIPS

August 9, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

Sunday sees the final four games of the first week of action as the big guns PSV, Ajax, Feyenoord and Vitesse begin their campaign. Will Burns to provide a preview and some betting tips – good luck.

SUNDAY 10TH AUGUST

ADO DEN HAAG vs. FEYENOORD (11:30 BST)

The very first Dutch game of the four-year Sky Sports deal will be a fierce battle between ADO Den Haag and Feyenoord.

This will be a tough test for Feyenoord, after the midweek exploits in Turkey, defeated by Beşiktaş 3-1 courtesy of a Demba Ba hat-trick. With a squad depleted after losing their leading scorer for the past two seasons and three of their representatives at this summer’s World Cup, Fred Rutten has a major job on his hands if he wishes to try steering Feyenoord to a title challenge this term. Signing Heerenveen winger Bilal Basacikoglu was a good start and the thought of Jean-Paul Boëtius on opposite wings is a mouth-watering prospect. Problem is the lack of strikers to cross the ball to. Apart from an uninspiring Mitchell te Vrede in the lone striker role, Elvis Manu, scorer in midweek, will be in Rutten’s mind and may get a start.

ADO manager Henk Fraser has been impressive since taking over midway through last season. Boasting an undefeated record of 11 of their last 12 matches, they head into Sunday’s game with confidence and some good new faces. Xander Houtkoop had a fantastic season at Go Ahead Eagles last year. Twenty four-year-old goalkeeper Martin Hansen, a former Liverpool youth excelled in the Danish league over last two season at Viborg FF and FC Nordsjælland. Finally, experienced Danish international midfielder Thomas Kristensen arrives after six success filled seasons at FC København. All three are set to start, however, the biggest news of the summer for ADO is that young highly-rated striker Mike van Duinen is still at the club.

With the tiredness and exhaustion from the midweek travel and mood affecting the result of the game, I cannot see Feyenoord walking out of the Kyocera Stadion with a win. I feel ADO will be set-up a fresher team and ready to exploit any weakness they find. Rutten will be hoping to get the season going but I feel Fraser’s side will hold the Rotterdammers to a draw.

RECCOMMENDED BET

Draw (3/1 – Bet Victor)

GO AHEAD EAGLES vs. FC GRONINGEN (13:30 BST)

After a disappointing European adventure in the summer, Groningen began their league campaign in Deventer on Sunday afternoon away to Go Ahead Eagles.

A load of players to look out for in this game, Eagles have borrowed a couple from Ajax and both should be on the teamsheet. Young goalkeeper Mickey van der Hart started 27 games in the Eerste Divisie last year for Jong Ajax. Exciting winger Lesly de Sa also appeared for Jong Ajax last term, scoring seven goals in 17 starts. Another definite starter should be left-back Giliano Wijnaldum, brother of Georginio, who signed from Sunday’s opponents FC Groningen. Another two, who could also feature is striker Alex Schalk, signed on a free from NAC Breda and midfielder Peter van Ooijen who arrived from PSV Eindhoven.

Edwin van der Looi brought many exciting reinforcements into Groningen this summer. Danny Hoesen signed on a permanent deal from Ajax, as Richairo Zivkovic went to other way. Signing from Go Ahead, Jarchinio Antonia should start against his former club and possibly haunt them with his right-wing attacks. Big defender Martijn van der Laan arrived from Cambuur and goalkeeper Sergio Padt came from Jupiler Pro side AA Gent as Marco Bizot went the opposite direction to Belgium. All of these players will add some great depth to an already strong squad.

I predict this match could provide a lot of goals and could be the game of the round. Adelaarshorst is a challenging venue for any team but Groningen should have sufficient quality to be able to hold off their opponents to at least claim a point in this one.

RECCOMMENDED BET

Draw (13/5- Bet Victor)

AJAX vs. VITESSE ARNHEM (13:30 BST)

Defending champions Ajax will be out for blood against Vitesse on Sunday after spending all week licking their wounds from last weekend’s Johan Cruijff Schaal defeat in their own backyard to PEC Zwolle.

Undefeated in the last 22 games in the league, Ajax will be vying to keep the run going and get off to a good start on Sunday. World Cup trio, Jasper Cillessen, Joël Veltman and Daley Blind have returned to full training this week after being given extended leave once their involvement in Brazil concluded. It is very unlikely that they will be named in the starting line-up against Vitesse, so in their absence Kenneth Vermeer, Mike van der Hoorn and summer signing from AZ, Nick Viergever should stand in. Elsewhere, Frank de Boer could hand a debut to young Polish striker Arkadiusz Milik, who was loaned from Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen last month.

Peter Bosz will be looking for a change in fortune as his side have lost their last four away matches in the league, but he could not have asked for a harder first game than a trip to the Amsterdam ArenA. Preparations for the new season as usual, have seen Chelsea reserve players have made the switch from Stamford Bridge for the forthcoming season. Burkina Faso international midfielder Bertrand Traoré and Brazilian full-back Wallace have made the move over to Arnhem. Vitesse has strengthened their attacking options bringing in striker Abiola Dauda, who has a great goalscoring record at both Kalmar (Sweden) and Red Star Belgrade (Serbia).

One player who may lead the team to greatness this year has not been mentioned by many pundits but insiders have told me he will make a major impact in the Eredivisie. Arriving early in the window was Denys Oliynyk from Dnipro on a two-year deal. The Ukrainian international was once considered to be one of the most talented players of his generation, however, he has only played 13 games in the past two seasons. It will be interesting to see what happens with this player if he makes the first team.

Ajax will be looking to explode out of the blocks in front of their own crowd to make amends from last weekend’s disappointment; however Vitesse will be prepared for this. Without their World Cup stars, I’m predicting Ajax will find this game a struggle and the draw is my recommended bet.

RECCOMMENDED BET

Draw (33/10 – Bet Victor)

WILLEM II vs. PSV (15:30 BST)

PSV Eindhoven was in Austria this past Thursday to advance to the next round of the Europa League qualifiers, while Willem II would have been resting up preparing for this game, in their return to the Eredivisie.

PSV enter this game with a fantastic head-to-head record, having won their last 17 matches against Willem II in all competitions and I cannot see the streak being broken. Philip Cocu’s men should get the season underway with a hefty victory over Jurgen Streppel’s side. New striker Luuk de Jong has already notched this year in the Europa League and with most wanted Memphis Depay returning from a fantastic World Cup ready to fire PSV to a title challenge. I fail to see the likes of Jordan Peters and Tim Cornelisse keeping them at bay.

Our best bet will be PSV -1 which means we need the Eindhoven side to win by two clear goals to win the bet.

RECCOMMENDED BET

PSV -1 Handicap (31/20 – Bet Victor)

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BETTING TIPS, EREDIVISIE, EREDIVISIE PREVIEW

EREDIVISIE WEEK 1: FRIDAY PREVIEW & BETTING TIPS

August 8, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

The waiting is over and the Eredivisie returns tonight as Ron Jans’ PEC Zwolle host FC Utrecht, hot off the heels of their Johan Cruijff Schaal win over Ajax on Sunday. Will Burns says backing Zwolle to claim victory is how to get the new season underway with a winner.

FRIDAY 8TH AUGUST

PEC ZWOLLE vs. FC UTRECHT (19:00 BST)

The Eredivisie returns tonight as Ron Jans’ PEC Zwolle host FC Utrecht, hot off the heels of their Johan Cruijff Schaal win over Ajax on Sunday and Will Burns says that backing Zwolle to claim victory is the way to start the new season with a winner.

PEC ZWOLLE

PEC Zwolle head into this opening day full of confidence after claiming their second trophy in 105 days. The Blauwvingers defeated Ajax by the solitary Stef Nijland goal last Sunday at the Amsterdam ArenA. Head coach Ron Jans suffered a blow to his season preparations earlier this morning losing arguably his best player last term, Kamohelo Mokotjo to FC Twente for a meagre €1.5m fee. However, it’s not all doom and gloom as earlier in the week, speedy winger Jody Lukoki arrived on a three-year deal from Amsterdam, the 21-year-old spent last season at Cambuur and should be a great addition to Jans’ selection. The winger should get a start on the right this evening with 19-year-old New Zealander Ryan Thomas on the left. On Sunday, Zwolle lined up with Nijland alone up front, however, Jans has added two Greek strikers to his ranks, Dimitrios Ferfelis (TuS Koblenz) and Nikos Ioannidis (Olympiakos) to help in front of goal, but may start on the bench this evening. Losing defensive rock Darryl Lachman to Twente earlier in the summer was disappointing, although the central defensive pairing Trent Sainsbury and Joost Broerse held well against Ajax on Sunday and should retain their place. In midfield, the defensive Ben Rienstra has arrived from Heracles this window and should protect the back four.

FC UTRECHT

It is a new season and a new manager for Utrecht after a disappointing campaign last year. After working his way up the ranks at the club, Rob Alflen replaced Jan Wouters in May following Utrecht’s horrific campaign which almost saw them involved in the relegation battle towards the end of the season. Looking to rebuild the team, Alflen brings a fresh approach and could hand lots of debuts to new signings tonight. A striker well known to watchers of the Eredivisie, Danny Verbeek arrived on loan from Belgian Pro League side Standard Liège after spending the last two years loaned out to NAC Breda. 24-year-old Dutchman and former Arsenal youth Nacer Barazite joined from Monaco and could line up in midfield. New defensive duo could start Christian Kum (Heerenveen) and Ramon Leeuwin (Cambuur) and Anouar Kali could make a return in the red shirt after a year at Roda. Alflen however, will be missing up to five first-teamers as midfielders Édouard Duplan and Willem Jansen, goalkeeper Robbin Ruiter, centre-forward Ruud Boymans and left-back Michael Zullo all miss out with injuries.

MATCH ODDS

After last weekend’s exploits, PEC Zwolle head into the game as favourites with evens being offered at Bet Victor and due to amount of talent that Utrecht is missing, I recommend this to be a great bet. With it being the opening game, it could be a cautious affair and a narrow Zwolle win could be the outcome, the scoreline of 2-1 to Zwolle at 8/1 looks very tempting. Ron Jans’ tactics may be more productive going forward than defensively this season and his side, as always will be an entertaining one to watch. If Zwolle do attack then Utrecht could do some damage on the counter with Jens Toornstra being the main threat scoring 19 goals in his total 48 appearances for the club from midfield. Toornstra is a menace from set-pieces also and is valued at 23/10 for anytime goalscorer. We all know how the goals can flow in the Eredivisie and both teams to score is an interesting but short price of 8/13, nevertheless, if combine that with a PEC Zwolle win and you can nail a great price of 5/2.

RECCOMMENDED BETS

PEC Zwolle to win with Both Teams to Score – 5/2

Jens Toornstra to score anytime – 23/10

SAFE BET

PEC Zwolle to win – Evens

All odds are with Bet Victor, click here to join and claim up to £25 in free bets for all new customers.

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TotalDutchFootball.com WorldFootballWeekly.com

BETTING TIPS, EREDIVISIE PREVIEW

EREDIVISIE WEEK 1 – MARTIJN’S BETTING TIPS

August 8, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

FRIDAY 8TH AUGUST 2014

PEC ZWOLLE – FC UTRECHT (19:00 BST)

The Eredivisie will start this Friday with current cup winner PEC Zwolle versus FC Utrecht. Both teams are known for spectacular matches. And so our betting tip for this match includes a ‘over’ bet.

PEC Zwolle played this Sunday versus Ajax for the Johan Cruijff Schaal and they deservedly won this match. They will most likely play with the same 11 players as latter match. ‘De Blauwvingers’ are known for playing with style and grace which led them to many victories such as the brilliant cup final versus Ajax in the previous season (5-1).

It is hard to predict which team will win Friday night, but FC Utrecht will not play hide and seek. They will attack heavily if you believe them: ‘We rather win with 4-3 then with 1-0’, said technical director Co Adriaanse. And the manager himself Alflen said this: ‘My philosophy is to gain the ball quickly as possible so the opponent will not stand a chance to build their attack’. They have strengthened their squad with pure quality in the name of Barazite, Kali and Boymans (27 goals in the Jupiler League previous season) and so on.

Both coaches have an offensive mind-set while their defence is not the best. I expect a game with at least three goals.

BEST BET: Over 2.5 Goals (7/10 – BetVictor)

SATURDAY 9TH AUGUST 2014

NAC BREDA – EXCELSIOR (18:45 BST)

NAC Breda is a team which have had trouble to avoid relegation is the last couple of seasons, but if analyze their qualities with other teams this season there is a big difference with clubs such as Willem II, FC Dordrecht and Excelsior.

Latter had the topscorer of the second division in their squad previous season (Veldwijk). They have lost him to English Championship team Nottingham Forrest. And with this transfer they lost 30 (!) goals. It is fair to say that they earned promotion because of him. In this pre-season they faced Roda JC (which relegated in 2013-14) and Excelsior where absolutely blasted away with a 4-1 defeat.

If you compare this squad with the other 17 teams in the Eredivisie doubtless they have by far the worst squad quality-wise. I expect that they will relegate with a ridiculous number of goals conceded.

You could talk ages about this game, but my expectation is fairly easy. Excelsior is not on the level required for the Eredivisie.

BEST BET: Both teams to score: NO (13/10 – BetVictor)

SUNDAY 10TH AUGUST 2014

WILLEM II – PSV (15:45 BST)

Matchday one will finish with this game which has two teams originated in Brabant. Because of the poor performance versus St. Pölten the odds has risen for PSV which is a good thing. The difference quality-wise among Willem II and PSV is enormous. So -1 PSV is a brilliant bet to place.

Willem II only has five defenders in their squad. With the possibility of a sixth in the name of Frank van der Struijk. To sketch the situation in Tilburg, they are the one and only club in the Eredivisie who still have no sponsor for their shirt. The financial situation is dramatic and their squad is far from complete which Jurgen Streppel admitted: ‘People expect us to finish above Excelsior and FC Dordrecht, based on what? We still do not have a central striker and only five defenders. It will be a matter of surviving because we lack quality and quantity’.

PSV have had a terrible match versus St. Pölten, but with the note that the Austrian second division team played in a defensive 5-3-2 formation and had no intention to leave their penalty box. They missed Wijnaldum, Depay and Arias and they most likely will not be playing versus Willem II, but PSV has many players with the ability to score and them will prove this versus promoted side Willem II.

Because of the match versus St. Pölten you could see the odd grow for PSV, but such a poor match will not happen to Eindhoven twice in a row. I expect an easy win for Cocu and his players.

BEST BET: -1 PSV (103/100 – BetVictor)

A £10 TREBLE PAYS £79.37 AT BETVICTOR

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TOTALDUTCHFOOTBALL.COM

FEATURE, PLAYER SPOTLIGHT

Player Spotlight – Tottenham target Memphis Depay

August 8, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

Memphis Depay have been compared with Cristiano Ronaldo because of his playing style, but does he have what it takes to become a Premier League revelation if he would make the transfer to Tottenham Hotspur writes Martijn Hilhorst.

As a young kid you could see his potential, but after a combination of negative events in his young life he became a player with some mentality issues. The turnover in his career came in the name of Henk Fraser (current coach of ADO Den Haag). The former defender is known for his disciplined way of coaching his players. Apparently it helped the young Memphis to commit truly to football. His PSV- coach at the time was Fred Rutten (current coach Feyenoord) and he saw a bright future for the winger. In September 2011 he debuted for PSV in a cup match versus VVSB (0-8) where he scored the opening goal and later on the 0-5.

He made his Eredivisie debut on 26 February 2012 in the home match versus Feyenoord (3-2). His first goal came only a few weeks later on the 18th of March in an easy victory over Heerenveen (5-1). He finally played eight matches in which he scored three times. In 2012-13 he officially became a first squad player and he was used quite often for a player his age. In 20 matches he managed to score twice.

His career went sky high before the start of 2013-14 after the departure of left winger Mertens to Napoli. Now a year later we could definitely conclude that Memphis is a player which could make any right-back dizzy. Looking to some of his statistics it makes your head spin. An unbelievable number of shots and dribbles.

The difference among the number two Kostic is only six, but the success rate from Depay speaks for him. The whole top five are as expected wingers, but Depay is the only inverted winger which makes it harder to complete a dribble.

There is a negative side to his playing style, the first and most obvious conclusion is that Depay is to trigger-happy which you could clearly see at his ‘SCR’. But decision-making comes with age. And also with practicing and hard working which will not be a problem with his mentality.

Memphis may have some problems with making the right decision, but that doesn’t mean he is an egocentric footballer if you look to his created chances. Only the absolute brilliant Tadic finished above him. The difference in amount of CC’s with his teammates are immense. After Depay comes Stijn Schaars with fifty and as third comes Jürgen Locadia with 33. Combine those two players and they still have three less then Tottenham Hotspur target Depay.

After an excellent season followed the World Cup in Brazil where he had four appearances and he scored twice and gave one assist. He also became the youngest player for the Netherlands to score on a WC with 20 years, 4 months, 5 days (via @OptaJohan).

After a struggling season with PSV it became clear that Depay, under any circumstances, could perform. He is an exceptional talent which proved that he not only could outshine in the Eredivisie but also on the highest level versus the best opponents possible. It is hard to predict if he is ready for the Premier League, but one thing is clear that with his current form Tottenham won’t be the only club interested in him.

*All stats courtesy of WhoScored and Squawka, via Opta.

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TOTALDUTCHFOOTBALL.COM

EUROPA LEAGUE, EUROPA LEAGUE REPORT

EUROPA LEAGUE: SKN St. Pölten 2-3 PSV

August 8, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

THURSDAY 7TH AUGUST

EUROPA LEAGUE – THIRD ROUND QUALIFYING – SECOND LEG

SKN ST. PÖLTEN 2 – 3 PSV

PSV WIN 4-2 ON AGGREGATE

After today, PSV will have qualified for the fourth qualifying round Europa League competition with an aggregated 2-4 win for PSV, they barely defeat Austrian underdogs St. Polten today with 2-3.

PSV has qualified for the play-off round of the Europa League in a filled 8,000 people NV Arena. It ended tonight with 2-3 for PSV and therefor they defeated ST. Polten. But it didn’t do it with a lot of conviction. The first hour was terrible with a lot of bad passing and terrible ball-contact moments of Phillip Cocu’s team. They made a lot of mistakes and let St. Polten play their own game.

However, St. Polten didn’t become real dangerous and in the 28’ minute PSV became dangerous with a great counter initiated by Adam Maher. Marcel Ritzmaier let Jurgen Locadia score the 1-0 with a diagonal goal. ST. Polten needed to make at least 3 goals to still win the match and it was a Goliath task by the Austrian underdog. But never lacking in support from the Austrian fans. The first real dangerous moment came from a slipper from Dutch defender Jeffry Bruma, but the attempt from Daniel Segovia landed just near the goal.

After the rest PSV’s game didn’t get any better. World Cup-star Memphis Depay started warming-up and proved to be of great value for PSV. Because just under a hour ST. Polten set the score straight and made the 1-1 after a long distant goal from forward Segovia. A fault of PSV keeper, who slipped, caused the keeper to lack to stop the attempt. 1-1. This caused St.Polten to believe in there chances and they pushed forward.

The much spoken Tottenham-target Memphis Depay was able to immediately score the 1-2 after a lucky PSV attack in the 68’ minute. 2 minutes later an assist from the same World Cup-star made Luuk de Jong score the 1-3 and PSV was certain to advance in the Europa League.

Konstatin Kerschbaumer, St. Polten best man today, restored there honour by making the 2-3 in extra time. But it didn’t matter. PSV is through with a poor game and result. One thing is for sure, the defense need some great investments otherwise it will be a tough year for PSV.

TEAMS

PSV: Zoet, Brenet, Bruma, Hendrix, Tamata, Maher, Hiljemark, Ritzmaier (Depay, 65), Narsingh (Arias 73’), De Jong, Locadia.

SUBS NOT USED: Pasveer, Koch, Wijnaldum, De Wijs, Boljevic.

GOALS: Locadia, 28., Memphis Depay, 68’, Luuk de Jong, 70.

BOOKINGS: Bruma 88’

ST. POLTEN: Kostner, Huber, Wislo, Grasegger, Holzmann (Ambichi 65), Stec, Parada Calvillo, Kerschbaumer, Hofbauer, Segovia (Noel 76), Fucik (Hartl 46).

SUBS NOT USED: Riegler, Brandl, Schibany, Hayden.

GOALS: Daniel Lucas Segovia, 56’., Konstatin Kerschbaumer, 90+3.

BOOKINGS: none.

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TotalDutchFootball.com

BETTING TIPS, EREDIVISIE, EREDIVISIE PREVIEW, FEATURE

EREDIVISIE 2014/15 SEASON GUIDE

August 7, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

Total Dutch Football previews all 18 teams ahead of the new Eredivisie season beginning this Friday night. Click on a club’s badge below to view their extensive preview and how our team think they will fare in the upcoming 2014/15 season.

The Eredivisie is back and for viewers based in the United Kingdom, it is an exciting time. As of this season, Sky Sports have signed a four-year deal to show the Dutch top flight, so we will the breeding ground for some many playing and coaching talent right in front of our eyes. Lots of changes as per usual in the Eredivisie, as is every year when the vast amount of talent the season before, have moved onto bigger clubs across Europe. It is very apt that the league does get named ‘The Stepping Stone’ division as many stars like Luis Suarez, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Robin van Persie honed their skills in Holland before moving on to the big time. In recent times, we have saw Jan Vertonghen, Christian Eriksen and Siem de Jong all leave the Amsterdam Arena for the dizzy heights of the Premier League.

Could Ajax win an unprecedented fifth title in a row or could we see a new winner of the Eredivisie?

Well what are you watching for?

Click on a club badge below and find out who we think will be holding aloft the Eredivisie shield in May.

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NEWS, TRANSFERS

TOTTENHAM DEAL FOR DEPAY RUBBISHED BY DUTCH JOURNALIST

August 6, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

The Mirror report of a Tottenham Hotspur bid of €10M plus Belgian winger Nacer Chadli for World Cup starlet Memphis Depay has been rubbished by leading PSV Eindhoven journalist Rik Elfrink.

The problems with the reports seem to stem from the fact that there has been no bid and PSV also want more money for the 20-year-old. Elfrink also went on to state that Depay is a probable starter tomorrow night when the Dutch side meet SKN St. Polten tomorrow night in a Europa League qualifier. The young Dutch forward is in Austria with the squad, which would be strange if a bid had been received and accepted.

Depay, who was named on the short list for young player of the tournament at the World Cup, scored two goals for his country during the group stages and has already appeared 60 times for PSV tallying 17 goals in the meantime.

It is no secret that he is highly sought after and White Hart Lane might be an ideal destination for the next stage of his development but in this instance of speculation it is simply a rumour.

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BETTING TIPS, EUROPA LEAGUE, EUROPA LEAGUE PREVIEW

EUROPA LEAGUE PREVIEW: SKN St. Pölten vs. PSV

August 5, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

THURSDAY 7TH AUGUST

EUROPA LEAGUE – THIRD ROUND QUALIFYING – SECOND LEG

SKN ST. PÖLTEN vs. PSV (18:00 BST)

After Thursday PSV will have qualified for the fourth qualifying round Europa League competition. However, it will not be as easy as many would have thought it would. Lawk Raoof suggests you read this preview to know why it won’t be easy to win.

PSV won the first game home with a marginal 1-0 against Austria newcomer Sportklub Niederösterreich St. Pölten. After a goal from Luuk de Jong who has immediately re-paid some of his summer transfer fee with a crucial goal. However, the Austrians have proven themselves to be physical strong and well-organised and ff there is something that PSV lacks is to play good against well-organized teams, especially without World Cup stars Georginio Wijnaldum & Memphis Depay. This explains the minimal 1-0 win but don’t worry these key-players have had one week of training and will highly likely be deployed as substitutes during the game to pull the game in favor of PSV.

With St. Pölten having 8,000 supporters backing them up and having the home-advantage, I can see PSV winning the game with only a 2-1 scoreline. For some people this is no disappointing outcome, however PSV is a top team and should walk all over the Austrians with at least four or five goals. However, missing key-players in every line it is obvious that Philip Cocu needs to pull everything out of the closet to make this win.

The most likely formation is: Zoet (GK), Tamata (LB), Hendrix (CB), Bruma (CB), Brenet (RB), Hiljemark (CDM), Wijnaldum (CDM), Maher (AM), Locadia (LF), De Jong (CF), Narsingh (RF)

I recommend placing a small stake at Bet Victor on PSV to win 2-1 at 15/2. Cocu’s men will explode out of the blocks and hit a wall like they did in the first game. However, considering the World Cup players are back and Depay and Santiago Arias can be used as aces when it turns bad Cocu should win this game.

BEST BET: PSV to win 2-1 (15/2 – Bet Victor)

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TotalDutchFootball.com

EREDIVISIE PREVIEW, FEATURE

PSV SEASON PREVIEW

August 4, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

PSVEindhoven

At the start of every season in Holland, Ajax enter as favourites and that isn’t surprising at all given their history and recent success in the Eredivisie, but this season they will have serious competition in PSV Eindhoven writes Jacob Jakeman.

The club have won the league 21 times, most recently during the 2007-8 campaign, while they are best known for allowing names such as Romario, Ronaldo and Ruud van Nistelrooy to make their name on the big stage. Many would consider them as the second biggest club in Holland, but they have slipped in recent years. Now they look to be making moves in the direction under Phillip Cocu, who will be leading the side for a second season. There were promising signs last campaign, finishing fourth, however they will be looking to qualify for the Champions League this season.

Although Ajax will still be considered as major favourites, they have lost their influential captain in Siem de Jong and they haven’t brought anybody in. While Frank de Boer is a manager who will interest a lot of clubs around Europe and if he leaves mid season, it could have damaging repercussions for Ajax. PSV are undergoing a transitional phase under Cocu, however they will be a lot more dangerous this season as their young players will be more experienced.

They have been active in the transfer market, securing the permanent transfer of very talented striker Luuk de Jong. Although he may have had a couple of poor seasons, he will be returning to a league which he has had a lot of success in. Plus he will be first choice, allowing him to feel less pressure and play his natural game. He scored 25 goals in his last season in the Eredivisie, if he repeats that for PSV, then they will certainly be pushing Ajax at the top of the table. It is believed PSV still want to add this summer, with Steven Defour a key target. Another one or two quality additions will really put PSV next to Ajax as favourites for the upcoming season.

Defensively, PSV have some decent players and could add at least one more before the closing of the window. Their goalkeeper Jeroen Zoet is one of the best young shot stoppers in Europe, having already attracted interest from bigger leagues, while he has been in and out of the Dutch squad for the past two years, despite not actually winning his first cap yet. Last season was his first as PSV’s number one and he was impressive, especially when it came to shot stopping, but he will be keen to enhance his reputation further this year. Meanwhile Jeffrey Bruma and Jetro Willems are both good young talents, who will go onto bigger things in the game. If PSV manage to re-sign Karim Rekik on loan, they will have a back five capable of keeping clean sheets, a rarity in the Eredivisie.

In the final third, the Eindhoven outfit have a number of talented forwards who will all make big contributions this coming season. The talented midfield trio of Luciano Narsingh, Georginio Wijnaldum and Adam Maher will provide PSV with a talented core to the side, all of whom have been capped by Holland showing their talent. They are all players who will attract interest over the next year and could be the next to move to a bigger league if their impressive performances continue. Meanwhile Stijn Schaars provides experience to the midfield and gives more protection to the back four. His partnership with Wijnaldum will be critical this season.

Although Luuk de Jong will be looked upon as the main attacker in the side, they also have Memphis Depay and Jurgen Locadia, who can both score crucial goals in the Eredivisie. PSV will see keeping Depay as the key to their hopes of challenging Ajax. He is without doubt one of the most talented players in the division and looked at home among the best players in the world at the World Cup. Although there is interest from the Premier League, he could stay in Holland for one more season, which would prove to be beneficial to both PSV and Depay, who may not get first team football if he moves this summer.

It will be fascinating to watch PSV this season as it’s clear they have a very talented squad led by an exciting young coach in Cocu, they will certainly be favourites to qualify for the Champions League alongside Ajax after the departures at Feyenoord, but could they have enough to stop Ajax winning another title? On paper, it appears they have a good chance with another one or two quality signings, as well as keeping Memphis Depay.

TRANSFERS INS AND OUT

IN: Andrija Lukovic (FK Rad), Luuk de Jong (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Remko Pasveer (Heracles).

OUT: Benjamin van Leer (Roda JC), Bryan Ruiz (Fulham), Karim Rekik (Manchester City), Matthias Zanka Jørgensen (FC Kobenhavn), Peter van Ooijen (Go Ahead Eagles), Tim Matavz (FC Augsburg).

MANAGER – PHILIP COCU

More than ever, PSV need an Eredivisie championship and if Cocu can’t win it this year he may be dismissed in what will be only his second season in management. A legend at the club, this could be the season he reaches ‘hall of fame’ status.

KEY PLAYER – MEMPHIS DEPAY

Flamboyant left-winger Depay, still only 20, had a breakthrough season last campaign. After Dries Mertens’ departure to Napoli, Depay made himself a regular name on Philip Cocu’s team-sheet, with the PSV legend having complete faith in the youngster. Appearing in four World Cup matches this past summer, while notching twice, Depay looks to go from strength to strength in what has to be his last season in Eindhoven.