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Dutch title race still too close to call

Xinhua, May 2, 2016 Adjust font size:

With only one match round to go, the Dutch title race remains a neck-and-neck race between Ajax and PSV, with the Amsterdam based giant still in pole-position after both teams winning on Sunday.

Ajax and PSV were equal on points after 32 match rounds, but Ajax had the lead with a better goal difference (+56 Ajax, +50 PSV). The mission for PSV was clear: produce as much goals as possible against bottom side SC Cambuur on Sunday.

With a goal by Marco van Ginkel in the 15th minute, reigning champions PSV started well, but the following equalizer by Calvin Mac-Intosch was a disappointment. Luuk de Jong headed PSV in front again, making PSV the virtual league leaders for a few minutes.

Meanwhile in Amsterdam, Vaclav Cerny gave Ajax the lead against FC Twente in the 37th minute after finishing a rush on a pass by Joel Veltman. Gaston Pereiro answered with a goal from PSV in Eindhoven against, but after a miss by PSV's Adam Maher, a strike by Cambuur's Jack Byrne made it 3-2 in the 43rd minute, a blow for PSV.

Thus with a margin of one, Ajax were leaders at half-time, with the same goal difference margin of +6 compared to PSV, so the developments in the first half were in favor of the team from Amsterdam.

In the second half, Maher scored PSV's fourth goal and through free-kicks by Jetro Willems and Marco van Ginkel, in injury-time, PSV beat Cambuur 6-2, which was not enough. Ajax had a productive final quarter to defeat FC Twente 4-0. Mike van der Hoorn, Viktor Fischer and Amin Younes scored.

Ajax therefore kept the lead with 81 points and the goal difference margin with PSV stayed on +6 (+60 Ajax, +54 PSV). In the final match round next week, Ajax will meet De Graafschap (away), while PSV have to play PEC Zwolle (away).

The loss of Cambuur meant the end of a stay of three seasons at the highest level for the team from the province of Friesland. With one match to go, Cambuur are certain of the 18th and bottom spot of the Dutch Eredivisie. Endit