OneFootball
Padraig Whelan·5 February 2023
OneFootball
Padraig Whelan·5 February 2023
The Eredivisie title race is heating up after key results on Sunday sees the top four only separated by four points. Here is what went down.
Scorers: Jahanbakhsh 81′, 90+7′; El Ghazi 8′. Hazard 68′
Red card: Obispo 65′
Leaders Feyenoord fought back for a clutch point against PSV Eindhoven which keeps the Eredivisie title in their favour.
The visitors entered De Kuip knowing three points would be clutch in their attempt to challenge for the title and clearly had a set game plan.
Within the first 10 minutes, Xavi Simons’ driving run ended with Anwar El Ghazi opening the scoring from a tight angle for 1-0.
And as time went on, Feyenoord dominated possession and registered four times the number of chances but struggled to click with Quinten Timber and Javairô Dilrosun not having their best day.
The hosts were handed a significant boost in the second half as Armando Obispo was sent off for a flying challenge and had PSV down to 10.
But minutes later, even as Feyenoord ramped up the pressure, the visitors hit on the counter-attack, and new signing Thorgan Hazard made things 2-0.
A raucous crowd and substitute Alireza Jahanbakhsh then changed things on its head. The Iranian scored a header to turn things 2-1 before netting from range in the dying moments to keep Feyenoord’s unbeaten run alive.
Looking at the table, Feyenoord lead with 43 points and fourth place PSV have 39.
Scorers: Tadić 16′, Berghuis 36′, 64′, Brobbey 79′, 90+3′
Ajax continued their renaissance under new coach John Heitinga with a five-star victory at Cambuur.
After an impressive 4-1 victory last weekend against Excelsior, the youth team boss earned the big job until at least the end of the season.
And his side got off to the perfect start on 16 minutes when Dušan Tadić finished off a sweeping team move that started in Ajax’s own box, netting the kind of goal the club’s reputation has been built on.
They doubled their lead before half-time when Steven Berghuis headed home after outstanding work from Mohammed Kudus on the byline, somehow finding a half yard of space in confined quarters, which was enough for him to pick out his team-mate to score.
As if there were any lingering worries of a fightback, Berghuis extinguished them with his second after the interval before Brian Brobbey added a fourth, coming off the bench to fire in a loose ball in the box after Cambuur failed to deal with a corner.
Prior to the end, Jorrel Hato was brought in for his league debut at the age of 16, with the defender having plenty of big admirers within the Amsterdam giants, before Brobbey’s brace completed the scoring in injury time.
With that result, Ajax sit third on 40 points three behind leaders Feyenoord.