Peter Bosz believes PSV are beginning to find their rhythm as they prepare to face FC Groningen on Sunday, with the head coach encouraged by the intensity and quality he has seen on the training pitch.

PSV head into the weekend looking to build on signs of improvement, with Bosz pointing specifically to the team's recent work during training.

The Dutch champions are also integrating new signing Lutsharel Geertruida, while Filip Kostić is still working towards full match fitness.

Bosz expects a difficult test against a Groningen side he believes has made significant progress by trusting young players developed within the club.

“What Groningen is doing is impressive. We’ve taken a good look at them, and a few things stand out. Except for the goalkeeper and the left winger, everyone is in their early twenties.”

The PSV coach stressed that Groningen's young squad should not be mistaken for an inexperienced one.

“You can’t say they’re inexperienced, because they’ve all already played a few seasons. Many of the players also came up through the club’s own youth system. They’ve been on an upward trajectory ever since they started relying on their own players. That’s great to see.”

The PSV boss is also encouraged by what he has seen from his own squad in recent sessions, particularly the intensity and quality of their passing.

“I think so. I can tell from the practices. You can see from the group whether they’re playing with the right intensity and whether the passes are connecting.”

Bosz saw similar signs during the recent victory over Excelsior.

“You could already see that against Excelsior [Rotterdam], especially in the second half. If you train well, you’ll get results in the long run.”

Geertruida was presented as PSV's latest addition on Saturday and is already considered close to full fitness after training with RB Leipzig during pre-season.

“No, that’s right. If a player has been training with a group since early July; he joined a bit later because of the Dutch national team; then they’re usually in shape.”

Bosz also explained that Kostić, who had been training individually, needs time to adjust to the intensity of group sessions and competitive matches.

“Kostic is Ivan-like in his obsession with training. He always wants more and has a strong build. So he’ll be fit faster than most, but playing in matches is still something else entirely.”

Crucially, Bosz confirmed that Geertruida was registered in time to play against FC Groningen.

With Joey Veerman having departed for Borussia Dortmund, Kodai Sano is among those expected to take on greater responsibility. Bosz, however, rejected the idea of simply assigning players fixed midfield numbers.

“I’m not really into the six, the eight, and the ten. I look at which players can play well together.”

For Bosz, the focus remains on the collective rather than replacing Veerman position-for-position.

“I look at the whole team and how that whole team measures up against the opponent. That part has to be right.”