The 2012-13 campaign was a season of spectacular attacking football for PSV Eindhoven as The Boeren, under manager Dick Advocaat, powered to a 2nd-place finish in the Eredivisie, scoring a league-best 103 goals. Leading the charge was the sensational Dries Mertens, whose 16 goals and league-leading 17 assists proved decisive in a campaign that delivered the Johan Cruyff Shield but ended with a frustrating KNVB Cup Final loss to AZ Alkmaar. It was a standout year that saw the emergence of a high-class squad featuring talents like Kevin Strootman and Georginio Wijnaldum, marking the prelude to Mertens' big-money move to Napoli.