Ajax Secures Vital Victory in Eindhoven, Harming PSV’s Title Aspirations

Ajax have firmly established their dominance in the Eredivisie following a 2-0 victory over rivals PSV in Eindhoven, extending their lead over the second-placed side to nine points.

The highly anticipated clash on Sunday was billed as the marquee match of the Eredivisie season, with league leaders Ajax facing off against a PSV side looking to narrow the gap in the title race. Ajax entered the match with a six-point advantage, having settled for a draw against AZ at home just before the international break, presenting PSV with an opportunity to close the distance to three points with a win.

PSV found themselves in a bind during the week, grappling with a tuberculosis infection affecting striker Lucas Perez, which left Luuk de Jong as their sole option up front for the matchday squad. Midfielder Ismael Saibari earned a start after being absent from the squad in their away game against Arsenal due to disciplinary issues. Meanwhile, American talent Malik Tillman made his return to the bench after two and a half months sidelined with an ankle injury.

Ajax manager Francesco Farioli opted to start Lucas Rosa at right-back in place of Anton Gaaei, who was suspended after his red card against AZ. Davy Klaassen was preferred in midfield over Kian Fitz-Jim, while Steven Berghuis took up the position on the right wing, displacing Bertrand Traore.

The match began cautiously, with both teams struggling to create clear opportunities in the opening 15 minutes; Ajax’s Kenneth Taylor and PSV’s Ismael Saibari both missed chances from within the box.

Ajax, now regarded as a team of tenacity, maintained a solid defensive formation while being opportunistic in attack, frequently opting for long balls instead of holding onto possession.

As the half-hour mark approached, PSV pushed forward but were unable to convert their limited chances against Ajax’s disciplined defence.

The home crowd fell silent soon after, as Davy Klaassen lived up to his moniker by scoring the opening goal with an unexpected effort from a turn. This marked Klaassen’s 82nd goal in the Eredivisie, making him Ajax’s second-highest goalscorer of the 21st century, only behind Klaas-Jan Huntelaar’s tally of 121.

In response, PSV manager Peter Bosz made two substitutions at halftime, introducing Malik Tillman for his first Eredivisie appearance since January 11th and bringing in Manchester United loanee Tyrell Malacia, who replaced Mauro Junior, who moved to fill Joey Veerman’s role in midfield.

The home side came out firing to start the second half, forcing Ajax to adopt a more defensive approach as PSV launched seven efforts in the opening 15 minutes.

Despite their intensity, PSV’s hopes crumbled when a long clearance from goalkeeper Matheus landed at the feet of substitute Bertrand Traore. The Burkinabe winger capitalised on a defensive lapse by Malacia, driving home a low shot to secure a 2-0 lead.

This goal took the wind out of PSV’s sails, and they struggled to maintain pressure in the closing 20 minutes of this pivotal encounter.

A handful of half-chances from Ajax punctuated the end of the match before the Ajax bench erupted in celebration following Serdar Gozubuyuk’s final whistle. Ajax departed Eindhoven with a 2-0 victory, extending their lead over PSV to nine points with only seven matches left in the season.