Eredivisie weekend round up: Groningen on a roll, PSV party on hold

eredivisie premier league footballA win for Ajax at Heracles means PSV will have to wait at least another week before being crowned Eredivisie champions.

At the same time, Dutch cup finalists FC Groningen sign off an historic week for the club with a comeback win against Cambuur, writes Neil Adderley

PSV Eindhoven 3 – 1 PEC Zwolle: PSV one win from glory

Goals from Georginio Wijnaldum, Joshua Brenet and Luuk de Jong saw off cup finalists PEC and left PSV just one victory away from being crowned Eredivisie champions.

While Maikel van der Werff drew the visitors level on the half hour mark, the champions elect ran out comfortable winners. Philip Cocu’s men will have to wait a week to lift the championship trophy when a win over visiting Heerenveen will be enough to bring the Eredivisie title back to Eindhoven.

Heracles Almelo 0 – 2 Ajax: PSV made to wait as Ajax struggle past Heracles

A defeat for Ajax in Almelo would have handed the title to PSV, and for the first 45 minutes it seemed the race for the Eredivisie championship was all but done. As the laboured visitors struggled to impose themselves, Ajax keeper Jasper Cillessen twice denied relegation threatened Heracles.

However, and totally against the run of play, Ajax found themselves in front when Kolbeinn Sigthorsson pounced on a Bram Castro parry. Lucas Anderson doubled the visitors lead late on with a quality curling finish to prolong Ajax’ defence of the Eredivisie title for at least one more week.

NAC Breda 2 – 2 FC Dordrecht: NAC capitulation leaves Maaskant furious

As NAC surrendered a two goal lead it was all too much for trainer Robert Maaskant who punched a hole in the dugout and injured his right hand in the process. NAC striker Adnane Tighadouini had lit up the first half, giving the hosts a comfortable lead with two sublime finishes.

A Dordrecht comeback seemed at best unlikely, however, the game was turned on its head within two second half minutes when Giovanni Korte headed home from a corner, before Everon Pisas took advantage of some horrendous NAC defending to bring the sides level.

Heerenveen 5 – 2 AZ Alkmaar: Five star Heerenveen breeze past AZ

Three goals in fifteen second half minutes left AZ shell shocked at the Abe Lenstra Stadion. The visitors had flown out the traps to take a first minute lead. Steven Berghuis finishing smartly from a Aron Johannsson cross.

Heerenveen pushed for an equaliser and were finally rewarded on the stroke of halftime as Simon Thern’s scuffed shot was enough to beat Esteban in the AZ goal.

Berghuis, with a cute chip over Kristoffer Nordfeldt, brought the sides level, but Heerenveen destroyed AZ with three goals in quick succession. Swedish winger Sam Larsson bagging a brace before Joey van den Berg smashed home a volley to ensure the convincing win.

Excelsior 1 – 3 Vitesse Arnhem: Vitesse take advantage of vulnerable Excelsior

Three defeats in a row, including Wednesday’s Dutch cup semi-final, have left Excelsior just three points clear of 16th placed NAC Breda.

The hosts got off to a decent start with Vitesse keeper, Eloy Room, having to keep out efforts from Ninos Gouriye, Rick Kruys and Tom van Weert. And Vitesse, unbeaten in eleven games, made Excelsior pay when Bertrand Traore curled home past Coutinho from the edge of the penalty area on 40 minutes.

Excelsior replied almost instantly as Tom van Weert headed the sides level. However, Vitesse had too much for the struggling hosts in the second half, as goals from Chelsea loanee Traore and winger Renato Ibarra secured all the points for the visitors.

Willem II 2 – 2 Feyenoord: Kazim Richards snatches draw for Feyenoord

Any hope Feyenoord had of challenging Ajax for second place in the table were dealt a serious blow in Tilburg. Despite taking the lead through Elvis Manu, the visitors were second best for long periods.

And with goals either side of the break, from Freek Heerkens and substitute Bruno Andrade, it seemed Willem II were heading for a seasons double over Feyenoord.

However, with just nine minutes on the clock, Colin Kazim Richards collected a Jean Paul Boetius cross before turning smartly and firing into the top corner of the net.

The draw leaves Feyenoord eight points behind second placed Ajax, while Willem II climb to eighth and into the final Europa League play-off position.

Groningen 3 – 2 Cambuur Leeuwarden: Cup finalists Groningen on a roll

Groningen, who this week reached the Dutch cup final for only the second time in the club’s history, rounded off an excellent week with a comeback victory over Cambuur Leeuwarden.

Tjaronn Chery gave the hosts a lead within a minute. The in-form attacking midfielder hit a tremendous right footed curler that sailed beyond Leonard Nienhuis in the Cambuur goal.

The visitors however were level just 5 minutes later as a totally unmarked Mikhael Roshuevel tapped in a Bartholomew Ogbeche shot-come-cross. Cambuur then found themselves ahead on the half hour mark when the unfortunate Eric Botteghin sliced a clearance into his own net.

The impressive Simon Tibbling brought the teams level again in the 55th minute, jinking past two challenges before rifling a low shot home from 25 yards. And it was left to Nick van der Velden to seal a perfect week for Groningen.

The substitute, latching on to an under hit 81st minute Mohamed El Makrini back pass, lobbed the onrushing Nienhuis to secure all the points in an historic week for the ‘Pride of the North.’

Go Ahead Eagles 1 – 3 FC Twente: Away win fails to lift the gloom for Twente

FC Twente claimed all three points but the win will come as little consolation after a shocking week both on and off the field.

Dumped out of the Dutch cup on penalties on Tuesday, the Enschede club’s week took another turn for the worse after being deducted a further three points due to financial irregularities.

Goals from the excellent Hakim Ziyech, and a brace from the impressive young Peruvian Renato Tapia, cancelled out Wesley Verhoek’s opener to secure the spoils for Twente.

Struggling Go Ahead are now left with the daunting task of taking on the relegation play-offs, while Twente face an even more serious threat to the club’s future.

ADO Den Haag 2 – 0 FC Utrecht: ADO victory all but secures Eredivisie football

Late goals from Roland Alberg and Gervane Kastaneer were enough to secure the win for ADO in a forgettable game at the Kyocera Stadium. While the match was far from a classic, the scruffy win enables ADO to leapfrog a disappointing Utrecht and virtually secure another season of top flight Dutch football for Henk Frazer’s team.

FC Utrecht, who came into the season aiming for a top six finish, look to have accumulated enough points to avoid the relegation play-offs, however, the Cathedral city team need at least one more win to be sure of Eredivisie football next term.

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