PSV moved top of the Eredivisie table heading into its 2024-25 season finale.
Malik Tillman helped Peter Bosz’s squad earn a 4-1 home victory over Heracles on Wednesday, leapfrogging Ajax into first place. Tillman scored twice and registered one assist, moving the reigning champions into the driver’s seat of the league table.
The U.S. men’s national team midfielder propelled PSV in front 1-0 after 18 minutes, kickstarting a busy evening at the Phillips Stadion.
Tillman set up Ismael Saibari three minutes later for PSV’s second goal of the first half.
After Sergino Dest connected with Saibari to extend PSV’s lead to 3-0 in the 35th minute, Tillman called his own number five minutes from halftime. The 22-year-old received a pass outside of the Heracles box before unleashing a powerful right-footed effort into the top-left corner.
It marked PSV’s 100th league goal of the campaign and Tillman’s 13th tally in all competitions.
Mario Engels pulled a consolation goal back for Heracles, but PSV would walk away with three points on home soil.
Tillman logged the full 90 minutes in the match while Dest played 45 minutes at right back. Richie Ledezma missed the match while Ricardo Pepi remains sidelined through injury.
Paired with Ajax’s 2-2 road draw at FC Groningen, PSV takes a one-point lead over Ajax into Matchday 34.
PSV will travel to 11th place Sparta Rotterdam on Sunday while Ajax hosts sixth place FC Twente on the same day.
PSV made a complete turnaround once Tillman came back from injury. Amazing run from PSV to take the lead.
He has that ability to hit bangers like that. Which is very much needed for the UAMNT. They need a player to be able to hit shots like that when the defenses pack it in and park the bus.
“He has that ability to hit bangers like that.”
So does Gio, CP, Tyler, Weah, Weston, etc.,etc. They have more than enough guys who CAN hit that shot.
As to why they don’t, well that’s another long discussion.
Not regularly like Tillman. And Tyler’s was not the norm it was an outlier. Gio has to actually play. CP rarely takes shots outside of the 18, Mckennie is in the box scorer.
Weah is wildly inconsistent.
Time to see what Tillman can do when given more of the reins.
Tillman took 28 shots from outside the box scoring 6 goals. Those shots were rated at 1.61 so he far outperformed expectations for shots from distance. Now you have to think about what kind of time and space does he have in Eredivisie that you don’t have in NT play, how many defenders are in the box? He’s certainly good enough to be in the conversation, but can he translate it against more organized and resolute defenses.
Tillman has had an incredible club season. I hope that can start showing up more often with the national team.
PSV were just about eliminated on Sunday down 2-0 and in danger if going below Feyenoord. Instead they turned it around and Feyenoord gave them a gift with a late red and stoppage time goal. Ajax falters to mid table clubs and suddenly PSV control their destiny. In both head to heads Ajax clearly was the better team, but the wheels have fallen off since being eliminated from European competition. PSV has gone 7-1 since falling out of the CL.
Thanks for the recap; last I had checked in on the Eredivisie Ajax was running away with it, so I thought I had misremembered or gotten confused with a previous season (cause I’m getting old).