The Dutch champions' title defence stumbled as defensive errors and sterile possession overshadowed bright cameos from Noah Fernandez and Alassane Pléa in a dramatic late equaliser.
PSV Eindhoven’s title defence began with a frustrating 2-2 draw against Fortuna Sittard. Here are three key lessons from Peter Bosz’s side after surrendering a late lead at the Philips Stadion.
1. Possession Means Little Without Enough Penetration
PSV dominated the ball in the first half but struggled to turn that control into clear-cut opportunities.
Peter Bosz's side had around 80 per cent possession and ten attempts before the interval, yet Fortuna created the more dangerous moments. Mohamed Ihattaren tested Matej Kovar several times, while Ole Romeny initially thought he had opened the scoring before being ruled offside.
The warning signs were eventually punished when Ryan Flamingo's attempted header back to Kovar lacked sufficient pace. Romeny intercepted the ball, rounded the goalkeeper and put Fortuna ahead just before half-time.
PSV improved after the break, with Ivan Perisic's corner allowing Flamingo to equalise. But the champions still found it difficult to consistently break down Fortuna's compact defensive structure.
The message from the opening match is straightforward: controlling possession is not enough when the final pass, movement and execution lack precision.
2. The Young Players Can Make A Difference
There were encouraging individual performances despite the disappointing result, particularly from PSV's younger players.
Eighteen-year-old Noah Fernandez produced one of the evening's standout moments when he calmly chipped Matthijs Branderhorst to put PSV 2-1 ahead.
It was Fernandez's second professional goal and his second consecutive league goal after he opened his account in the final match before the summer break.
Amir Bouhamdi also made his official Eredivisie debut after impressing during pre-season. The academy graduate had already started the Johan Cruijff Shield defeat by AZ and remains firmly in the first-team picture under Bosz.
Alassane Pléa also made his competitive return after almost a year of injury problems. The French striker immediately contributed, inadvertently helping create Fernandez's goal after his first touch sent the ball into the youngster's path.
New arrivals Filip Kostic and Kodai Sano, however, were not involved.
3. PSV Still Have Defensive Problems To Solve
The most concerning aspect of the opening two competitive matches is the number of avoidable defensive mistakes.
After conceding four goals against AZ in the Johan Cruijff Shield, PSV again gave away a preventable goal against Fortuna. Flamingo's under-hit header directly led to Romeny's opener.
Even after turning the match around, PSV failed to manage the closing stages effectively. With three points seemingly secured, Fortuna found an opening in the second minute of stoppage time.
Édouard Michut, returning after four months out injured, produced a magnificent long-range strike. His effort took a slight deflection off Perisic before flying beyond Kovar and into the top corner.
Bosz subsequently refused to blame the dropped points on his tactical system, instead pointing to individual errors.
The result leaves PSV with a defeat and a draw from their opening two competitive fixtures. For the defending champions, the immediate task is to turn their territorial dominance into greater attacking efficiency while eliminating the defensive mistakes that have already proved costly.
PSV's next Eredivisie assignment comes away to Excelsior on August 15, with Bosz's side looking for its first league victory of the campaign.
