Excelsior
PSVBy Babatunde Sowole — Football Expert on European & South American Cups
The second round of the Dutch Eredivisie brings together an unlikely early-season leader and the reigning champions. Excelsior Rotterdam welcome PSV Eindhoven to their artificial turf, with the hosts sitting top of the table after a stunning opening day, while the visitors are desperate to shake off a sluggish start to the campaign.
Excelsior closed out the previous season in style, hammering Vitesse 5‑0 and beating Groningen 3‑2. Their summer preparations were flawless: they won all five friendlies, defeating Cambuur (3‑2), Dordrecht (3‑0), NAC Breda (3‑1), Heracles (5‑3) and De Graafschap (5‑1). That momentum carried straight into the new 2026 season, as they thrashed Cambuur 4‑0 away in the opening round. With three points and a goal difference of +4, the Rotterdam side sit alone at the summit. Over their last ten matches in all competitions, they have recorded six wins, two draws and two losses. The attack is firing on all cylinders, making them a dangerous opponent for any defence.
PSV finished the previous championship on a high note, beating Twente 6‑1 and Go Ahead Eagles 4‑1. However, their pre‑season and the start of the new term have been disjointed. In friendlies they drew with Antwerp (1‑1), thrashed Royale Union (7‑3) and Eindhoven (3‑0), but lost to Villarreal (1‑3). In competitive matches in 2026, they first lost the Super Cup 0‑4 to AZ Alkmaar, then scraped a 2‑2 home draw against Fortuna Sittard in the opening league fixture. With one point and a goal difference of 2‑2, the champions sit tenth. Across their last ten games in all competitions, they have four wins, three draws and three losses, with defensive errors creeping into every outing.
Excelsior are enjoying an unexpected spell at the top of the table and will throw everything into challenging the champions on their own ground. PSV, languishing in tenth, are burning to claim their first victory of the season and restore self‑belief.
Excelsior may be without defender Bass, who is nursing a shoulder injury. For PSV, key holding midfielder Schouten is definitely out with a knee problem, while forward Driouech is a doubt after a knock.
PSV go into the match as favourites on reputation, but their current form raises serious questions. Conceding four against AZ and two against Fortuna points to a fragile backline. Excelsior, by contrast, have won six consecutive matches including pre‑season, scoring at least three goals in every one of them. On their own artificial pitch, the Rotterdam side are capable of avoiding a heavy loss. The pick is Excelsior with a +1.5 Asian handicap at odds of 1.65. We assess the probability of this outcome at 65% (anything above 1.54 is playable).
On the goals front, Excelsior’s attack is in red‑hot form – 24 goals in their last six games – while PSV still possess high‑quality firepower up front. Head‑to‑head meetings between these sides have regularly produced plenty of goals. The recommendation is over 3.5 total goals at odds of 1.70. We estimate the likelihood at 62% (anything above 1.61 is playable).
The editorial prediction is provided for informational purposes only and should not be treated as a direct call to action. Every reader should do their own analysis before deciding on a bet.
PSV will steamroll Excelsior here. The visitors are in top form, and I fully expect them to pile on the goals. A handicap of (-1.5) at 1.94 is a solid bet—this should be a blowout.
PSV are heavy favorites on paper, but they'll get their fair share of yellow cards here. Excelsior at home won't just roll over—they'll try to play their game and disrupt the visitors' rhythm.
Match officials in the Eredivisie like to keep things under control, and with both sides motivated, we're looking at a minimum of three bookings. Picking over 2.5 cards at 1.94 makes a lot of sense for this one.
Excelsior are tough to break down at home, where they consistently grind out results and push forward with real attacking intent. PSV tend to struggle on the road, often losing rhythm and leaving gaps for counter-attacks. Backing a double chance on the hosts carries obvious risk, but the logic is solid given the circumstances.
Excelsior over 1.5 goals is the bet here. At 2.77, the odds are too good to pass up.
PSV’s attacking approach should generate plenty of set-piece opportunities in this Eredivisie match. I’m backing them to earn at least six corners, which looks solid at 1.60.
Excelsior have put at least two goals past PSV in every single head-to-head meeting on record. That pattern makes the over 1 goal line at 1.78 a straightforward call, and I'm locking it in without hesitation.
The showdown between Excelsior and PSV in the Eredivisie is set up perfectly for goals. PSV will be furious after a recent disappointment, and facing an organized Excelsior side usually forces them into a high-paced, attacking response. This is exactly the kind of scenario where the total climbs above 3.5 goals.
I expect a fiery match from the first whistle. Excelsior will have to push forward to stay in the game, and that leaves space for PSV's quality to exploit. The combination of a motivated PSV and a capable opponent creates the right conditions for a high-scoring outcome.
PSV's corner game is a real weapon. They dominate that department consistently, so backing them to win the corner count at 1.50 feels like solid value. I'm taking that bet without hesitation.
PSV will dominate Excelsior in the corner count. The gap in quality is too wide for the hosts to keep up, and I expect the visitors to control the game from the flanks. That makes the bet on PSV to win the corner battle a straightforward call.
The opening stages will be all-out attacking football from both sides. I'm expecting a high-scoring first half as a result, which is why I'm backing over 1.5 goals in the first 45 minutes.
PSV’s opening weekend was far from convincing, but I’m not reading too much into it. The talent gap against Excelsior remains massive, and the visitors are a class above at this level. I expect a straightforward victory here.
PSV’s opening weekend was far from convincing, but I’m not reading too much into it. The talent gap against Excelsior remains massive, and the visitors are a class above at this level. I expect a straightforward victory here.
Excelsior are tough to break down at home, where they consistently grind out results and push forward with real attacking intent. PSV tend to struggle on the road, often losing rhythm and leaving gaps for counter-attacks. Backing a double chance on the hosts carries obvious risk, but the logic is solid given the circumstances.
Excelsior over 1.5 goals is the bet here. At 2.77, the odds are too good to pass up.
PSV’s attacking approach should generate plenty of set-piece opportunities in this Eredivisie match. I’m backing them to earn at least six corners, which looks solid at 1.60.
Excelsior have put at least two goals past PSV in every single head-to-head meeting on record. That pattern makes the over 1 goal line at 1.78 a straightforward call, and I'm locking it in without hesitation.
The showdown between Excelsior and PSV in the Eredivisie is set up perfectly for goals. PSV will be furious after a recent disappointment, and facing an organized Excelsior side usually forces them into a high-paced, attacking response. This is exactly the kind of scenario where the total climbs above 3.5 goals.
I expect a fiery match from the first whistle. Excelsior will have to push forward to stay in the game, and that leaves space for PSV's quality to exploit. The combination of a motivated PSV and a capable opponent creates the right conditions for a high-scoring outcome.
The opening stages will be all-out attacking football from both sides. I'm expecting a high-scoring first half as a result, which is why I'm backing over 1.5 goals in the first 45 minutes.
PSV will steamroll Excelsior here. The visitors are in top form, and I fully expect them to pile on the goals. A handicap of (-1.5) at 1.94 is a solid bet—this should be a blowout.
PSV are heavy favorites on paper, but they'll get their fair share of yellow cards here. Excelsior at home won't just roll over—they'll try to play their game and disrupt the visitors' rhythm.
Match officials in the Eredivisie like to keep things under control, and with both sides motivated, we're looking at a minimum of three bookings. Picking over 2.5 cards at 1.94 makes a lot of sense for this one.
The match is scheduled for August 15, 2026, at 19:00 local time, at Excelsior's home ground with an artificial turf surface in Rotterdam.
The recommended bet is Excelsior +1.5 Asian handicap at odds of 1.65, with a 65% probability. Also, over 3.5 total goals at odds of 1.70 is advised, given the 62% likelihood based on both teams' attacking form.
PSV are the favourites based on reputation, but their current form is shaky with defensive issues, while Excelsior are in excellent form and lead the table.
Excelsior are in outstanding form, having won all five friendlies and their opening league match 4-0 against Cambuur, scoring at least three goals in each of their last six competitive and friendly games.
PSV have had a disjointed start, losing the Super Cup 0-4 to AZ and drawing 2-2 with Fortuna Sittard. Key midfielder Schouten is out with a knee injury, and forward Driouech is a doubt.
Excelsior may be without defender Bass, who is nursing a shoulder injury, but no other major squad issues are reported.