Guus Til's left-footed strike in the 81st minute sent the Philips Stadion into raptures as league-leading PSV Eindhoven secured a pulsating 4-3 victory over relegation-battling Heracles Almelo in a match that defied all expectations. The 16th-placed visitors had stunned the home crowd by twice drawing level against the Eredivisie pacesetters, turning what should have been a routine victory into a nerve-shredding thriller.
The drama began early when Ricardo Pepi converted PSV's first penalty of the evening in the 20th minute, sending his right-footed effort into the bottom left corner. Ismael Saibari doubled the advantage from the spot on 32 minutes, rifling his penalty into the top right corner as the home faithful anticipated a comfortable afternoon. However, Jizz Hornkamp pulled one back for Heracles deep into first-half stoppage time, converting their own penalty with a precise right-footed finish to the bottom left corner. The second half exploded into life when Luka Kulenovic prodded home from close range in the 60th minute after Mario Engels' assist, stunning the home support. Joey Veerman restored PSV's lead ten minutes later with a sublime left-footed curler from outside the box, assisted by Ivan Perisic, only for Hornkamp to complete his brace three minutes later, slotting his left foot past Matej Kovář.
The tactical battle saw PSV dominate possession with 65.8% of the ball, yet Heracles proved remarkably resilient in their defensive structure. Mike te Wierik and Alec Van Hoorenbeeck stood firm at the heart of Heracles' backline, repeatedly frustrating PSV's attacking quartet of Pepi, Dennis Man, Til, and Saibari. Timo Jansink produced several crucial saves in the Heracles goal, while Kovář was kept busy at the other end despite his team's territorial advantage.
PSV's superior firepower ultimately told as they registered 21 shots to Heracles' 11, with seven efforts hitting the target compared to their opponents' six. The league leaders earned 10 corners to Heracles' four, yet the visitors' clinical finishing kept them in contention throughout. Both teams committed to an attacking approach, with 19 fouls shared between them as the intensity never dropped.
The turning point arrived when Sergiño Dest found space down the right flank in the 81st minute, delivering the perfect cross for Til to sweep home the winner from the centre of the box. The final ten minutes saw desperate Heracles pressure, with Mimeirhel Benita's stoppage-time header forcing a fine save from Kovář as the visitors threw everything forward.
PSV will host GVVV Veenendaal on December 16 as they look to maintain their commanding position at the summit, while Heracles face Hoogeveen the same day, needing points to climb away from the relegation zone after this spirited but ultimately fruitless display.