PSV clinched their second successive Dutch league title with a 3-1 win at Sparta Rotterdam, making Ajax’s narrow victory against Twente redundant on a day when experienced heads prevailed.

Peter Bosz’s side attacked from the first whistle, knowing that three points would secure the title, but Sparta’s defence stood firm until the 36-year-old Croatian midfielder Ivan Perisic scored with a diving header in the 27th minute.

The goal arrived less than a minute after Ajax had taken the lead in Amsterdam when Jordan Henderson glanced in Youri Regeer’s free-kick with his head to give their fans a fleeting hope of snatching the title.

PSV were unable to add to their tally, with Nick Olij having an outstanding day in Sparta’s goal, while only a post denied Perisic his second shortly before half-time.

It looked as if they might pay the price when Gjival Zechiel, a 20-year-old striker on loan from Feyenoord, equalised for Sparta with a low shot early in the second half, just minutes after PSV had been denied a penalty on a VAR review.

But Ajax’s celebrations lasted for just six minutes as Luuk de Jong bagged his 14th goal of the season from close range, before Malik Tillman made sure of PSV’s 26th league title with a shot into the top corner in the 84th minute.

De Jong’s sixth title

Ajax added a second goal in the 90th minute through Wout Weghorst, who had seen an earlier effort disallowed, but it was met with only muted cheers.

The 34-year-old De Jong collected his sixth Eredivisie winner’s medal, five with PSV and one in 2009-2010 with Twente, while Bosz becomes the oldest coach ever to lead a team to the Dutch league title at the age of 61.

“We’d more or less given up hope when we went nine points behind,” De Jong said as he looked back over a dramatic last few weeks in which Ajax drew two and lost two matches, including conceding an injury-time equaliser to Groningen, while PSV took maximum points, coming back from 2-0 down to win at Feyenoord.

“And then we got ourselves a point ahead and finished the job today. Big compliments to the whole team. Do we deserve the title? Both clubs missed a lot of chances, but we’re the ones taking home the trophy.”

Feyenoord finished third despite a 2-0 loss at Heerenveen, the club that saw coach Robin van Persie jump ship to move to Rotterdam in February.

Heerenveen, NEC in play-offs

The result means the Frisians clinched the last Conference League play-off spot ahead of PEC Zwolle, despite the latter’s 2-0 home win against Groningen.

Heerenveen will face AZ, who drew 1-1 with relegated Almere City in a match where both teams’ finishing positions were already known before they kicked off.

The other play-off tie will be between Twente and NEC Nijmegen, who booked their place with a 2-1 win at Heracles.

Willem II, who last won a league match in December, gained the point they needed at NAC to give themselves a chance of retaining their top-flight status through the play-offs. Raffael Behounek scored just before half-time to cancel out Elias Már Ómarsson’s opener for NAC.

That meant RKC Waalwijk’s 5-3 win over cup finalists Go Ahead Eagles, with Mo Ihattaren scoring a penalty in what is likely to be his last match for RKC, was not enough to save the Brabant club from the drop along with Almere.

Fortuna Sittard and Utrecht played out a goalless draw in Limburg in a match where neither team had anything left to play for.

Results

Ajax 2-0 Twente Enschede

AZ Alkmaar 1-1 Almere City

Fortuna Sittard 0-0 Utrecht

Heerenveen 2-0 Feyenoord

Heracles Almelo 1-2 NEC Nijmegen

NAC Breda 1-1 Willem II Tilburg

PEC Zwolle 2-0 Groningen

RKC Waalwijk 5-3 Go Ahead Eagles

Sparta Rotterdam 1-3 PSV Eindhoven