PSV inch closer to Eredivisie glory after Saibari's masterclass sinks FC Utrecht

Following two defeats in their last pair of matches that cost them the Eredivisie crown, PSV seized another chance to claim the title by beating FC Utrecht. Everything hinged on Feyenoord slipping up against FC Volendam the next day.

With interest from Fulham in Ricardo Pepi keeping him on the sidelines and Guus Til leading the attack up front, PSV endured a nightmare opening when Artem Stepanov netted in the third minute to hand the away team an early advantage.

Further defensive lapses piled on the woes for PSV as Gjivai Zechiël extended FC Utrecht's advantage just ten minutes later, slotting home neatly after a slick team effort, while Spanish back Yarek Gasiorowski repeated his shaky display by fumbling a challenge that exposed the PSV backline.

True to his usual heroics for PSV, Ismael Saibari grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck with a stunning strike, outfoxing Siebe Horemans with sheer technique before rifling past Vasilis Barkas from close range to offer the hosts a swift way back into it.

PSV turned up the heat, pinning FC Utrecht deep as Joey Veerman, Dennis Man, and Guus Til peppered Barkas with shots, though Til fluffed his lines with the goal gaping.

Kiliann Sildillia rattled the bar not long before the interval, but Saibari rose to the occasion once more post restart, muscling past Matisse Didden following a lofted pass from Mauro Junior and coolly beating Barkas in the duel.

The exceptional Ismael Saibari kept tormenting FC Utrecht, nutmegging Niklas Vesterlund with exquisite control before teeing up Guus Til perfectly, allowing the midfielder to flip the scoreline in PSV's favour just shy of the hour mark.

As the mood lifted in Eindhoven, both on and off the pitch, Jerdy Schouten disrupted proceedings by suffering a knee knock that saw the PSV skipper carried off on a stretcher around the 65 minute.

PSV eased off the gas following the turnaround to 3-2, letting FC Utrecht build some rhythm. Ron Jans' outfit came close to levelling through Yoann Cathline's header, which lacked the zip to trouble Matej Kovar.

While the prospective champions sat deep, FC Utrecht capitalised with eight minutes left as Jesper Karlsson drilled into Kovar's bottom right corner, threatening to derail PSV's celebrations yet again.

The chaotic encounter concluded in equally wild fashion, with PSV pushing hard over the eight added minutes until Couhaib Driouech sealed a dramatic, gritty victory in the dying seconds via a strike that deceived a stranded Barkas.

Securing all three points puts PSV on standby for Feyenoord's result versus FC Volendam on Sunday. Should Feyenoord falter, PSV will lift the Eredivisie trophy for the 27th occasion. A Feyenoord victory maintains PSV's 15 point buffer, and boasting a 20 goal superior difference, PSV's title is all but secured regardless.