Mijnans steals show with hat-trick as PSV soar into league lead

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/psv/M9UEHJWi/"]PSV[/a] manager Peter Bosz shuffled some pieces around after his side’s midweek draw against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/shakhtar/4ENWX2OA/"]Shakhtar Donetsk[/a], leaving [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/perisic-ivan/4AbKyVr9/"]Ivan Perisic[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pepi-ricardo/GE8fEuGS/"]Ricardo Pepi[/a], and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/van-bommel-ruben/djWkTIzc/"]Ruben van Bommel[/a] on the bench to give [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bajraktarevic-esmir/GUqdXgyQ/"]Esmir Bajraktarevic[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mijnans-sven/OhTLBILt/"]Sven Mijnans[/a], and youngster [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bouhamdi-amir/zTD0dUwe/"]Amir Bouhamdi[/a] starts.[/p][p]PSV dominated the opening minutes as expected, but surprisingly fell to a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sparta-rotterdam/KK4FaFV3/"]Sparta[/a] goal when Czech stopper [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kovar-matej/tIXuiy4C/"]Matej Kovar[/a] rushed out and completely missed the ball, leaving [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/zonneveld-milan/tMlDJFgT/"]Milan Zonneveld[/a] to essentially walk the ball into an empty net.[/p][embed guid="a112e7fe-5f3e-40b7-83e2-543cfb0cc703" url="https://x.com/ESPNnl/status/2099202703163281713?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]The reigning champions recovered eight minutes later via Sven Mijnans, who headed in an inviting Esmir Bajraktarevic cross between three sleeping Sparta defenders.[/p][p]After a period of moderate pressure from PSV, the natural order was restored with 8 minutes remaining in the first half: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sano-kodai/vBwiuxMd/"]Kodai Sano[/a] had the ball on the edge of the box and delivered a strike that proved too powerful for the questionably acting [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/brouwer-michael/0xyz2jOR/"]Michael Brouwer[/a], making for his first PSV goal.[/p][p]Sparta opened the second half on the most dangerous side, with Zonneveld testing Kovar once more, but the Czech kept the striker from bagging the equaliser.[/p][image alt="Match momentum" id="c54ce60b-2413-4066-92a2-120f099beada" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="129c10b6-cb11-4f0f-9e06-bfa04c02680f" original-width="3840" original-height="2160" /][p]The visitors from Rotterdam kept knocking on the door, with Zonneveld and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/young-marvin/boNtOrd2/"]Marvin Young[/a] having headers cleared off the line before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/verschuren-nick/xYJBCwEn/"]Nick Verschuren[/a]’s backheel effort flew just wide of the post.[/p][p]Instead of the equaliser, PSV built on the lead via Mijnans, who stood in the right place at the right time to tap in a rebound.[/p][p]Mijnans completed his first PSV hat-trick to put the game beyond all doubt on the cusp of full-time - [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/geertruida-lutsharel/zwx6dFjk/"]Lutsharel Geertruida[/a] picked up a clearance and laid it off to Mijnans, who beautifully curled it into the far corner to put an exclamation mark on a fantastic display.[/p][p]After AZ left two points on the board against promoted Willem II on Friday, PSV take over the top spot with a 4-1 win over Sparta. Up next for the reigning champions is a tricky away game at FC Twente.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/psv-M9UEHJWi/sparta-rotterdam-KK4FaFV3/?mid=4foof6gd"]Check the full match statistics on Flashscore[/a][/b][/p][image alt="Key match stats" id="e14009e2-67cb-4cfb-9ea9-f5f0590cf880" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="e3131c18-7be1-484e-bf5e-bd3be6ba3fca" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /]