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PSV clinch Dutch championship on last match day

Xinhua, May 9, 2016 Adjust font size:

PSV sensationally grabbed the Dutch title on Sunday after beating PEC Zwolle 3-1 in the last match round with Ajax losing the top spot due to a 1-1 draw at De Graafschap.

The preparations for the festivities for a 34th league title for Ajax were already underway and all the team had to do was beating De Graafschap in Doetinchem and hoping PSV wouldn't score too much at PEC Zwolle.

Ajax had several chances in the first half, but scored only once through Amin Younes. With that one-goal margin coach Frank de Boer's team could not relax and in the second half it went wrong. A shot by Bryan Smeets in the 55th minute was the equalizer for De Graafschap.

With PSV having a comfortable 3-1 lead after goals by Jurgen Locadia and Luuk de Jong (twice) and a PEC goal by Ouasim Bouy, the scores meant the title would go to Eindhoven. Despite some desperate actions in Doetinchem Ajax failed to produce a winner and after the final signal the Ajax players dropped to the ground due to this missed opportunity, while in Zwolle the PSV players were in ecstasy.

PSV finished on 84 points after 34 match rounds, two more than Ajax. PSV, which became champions for the first time in 1928/1929, claimed their 23th Dutch championship in total and their 20th in the Eredivisie (since 1956/1957).

Feyenoord, which beat NEC 1-0 on Sunday, finished third and booked a direct place in the Europa League next season, while AZ, which defeated FC Utrecht 3-1 in Utrecht, claimed qualification for the Europa League preliminary round.

FC Utrecht, Heracles Almelo, FC Groningen and PEC Zwolle qualified for the Dutch play-offs for the remaining Europa League preliminary round berth, while Willem II and De Graafschap have to play promotion/relegation play-offs. Bottom side SC Cambuur was already certain of relegation, after three years at the highest level. Endit