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PSV take over lead from Ajax

Xinhua, February 1, 2016 Adjust font size:

PSV are the new leaders in the Dutch Eredivisie after Ajax drew 2-2 at Roda JC Kerkrade on Sunday.

Ajax coach Frank de Boer lined up a 4-4-2 formation, instead of the regular 4-3-3, with Arek Milik en Anwar El Ghazi up front. His tactics were rewarded with goals by both forwards, although Ajax did not play well.

Milik headed in a corner by Nemanja Gudelj in the 27th minute and two minutes later El Ghazi found the net. The latter profited from a mistake by Roda midfielder Kristoffer Peterson and scored. With his goal El Ghazi ended his goal drought of over three months. His last goal was against Heracles Almelo on October 17 last year.

Rydell Poepon brought Roda back into the match, but it took the home-team long to produce more. With substitute Davy Klaassen, who returned from a knee injury and played his first minuted of 2016, Ajax seemed to secure the victory. However, after a corner in injury time Maecky Ngombo equalized and Ajax dropped points for the second consecutive match.

On Saturday PSV beat bottom-side De Graafschap 4-2 in Eindhoven. Luuk de Jong gave the reigning champions the lead and Davy Propper and Luciano Narsingh added two more goals in the first half. With Jurgen Locadia missing a penalty and Ted van de Pavert and Bart Straalman narrowing the gap to one goal the match was not over yet for the visitors, but substitute Gaston Pereiro secured the home victory six minutes from time.

The victory earned PSV the provisional lead for at least one day and the draw of Ajax at Roda on Sunday meant coach Phillip Cocu's team is the definite new leader. PSV now have 50 points from 21 matches, one more than Ajax.

Feyenoord's crisis continued, losing their 5th consecutive match, breaking the club record of 1958 and 1988. ADO Den Haag beat the sleeping giants 2-0 in Rotterdam.

Kevin Jansen opened the scoring for ADO on the stroke of half-time and Gianni Zuiverloon hurt his former club with the second goal in the second half after lackluster defending by the home-team.

Feyenoord maintained the third place, but now are 14 points behind the new leaders PSV. Next week Feyenoord play at Ajax. Endit