After a tumultuous week of European disappointment for Dutch football, attention shifted towards the Eredivisie as teams geared up for a crucial double-header.
PSV, Feyenoord, Ajax, and AZ all faced elimination in the round of 16 of the Champions League and Europa League. Feyenoord fell to Inter with a 2-1 defeat, Ajax suffered a heavy 4-1 loss to Eintracht Frankfurt, and AZ was defeated 3-1 by Tottenham Hotspur. PSV managed to secure a draw with Arsenal after a heavy 7-1 loss in the first leg, leaving them with a flicker of pride.
While the exit of all Dutch teams was significant, it was the selection of Ajax manager Francesco Farioli that captured the attention of the football community. Farioli’s surprising decision to include ten new players compared to his line-up in the 2-1 defeat against Inter in Amsterdam led many to accuse him of giving up on their Europa League campaign.
Yet, it’s essential to take a step back and reflect on Ajax’s journey. Less than a year ago, they were scrapping for a spot in the Eredivisie’s top five. On March 17th, 2024, Ajax could only manage a 2-2 draw with Sparta Rotterdam, marking their sixth game without a win in the league.
Fast forward to now, Ajax are leading the Eredivisie with an impressive 8-point cushion over the reigning champions, PSV. Their squad may bear a resemblance to the previous year, but the energy on the pitch is markedly different. Thus, Farioli’s choice to focus on the Eredivisie makes much more sense in the broader context.
With Brian Brobbey and Youri Baas both lacking match fitness and Jordan Henderson suspended, Farioli’s decision to approach the encounter with Frankfurt with a significantly altered squad isn’t as outlandish as it may have seemed.
Especially given that a crucial home clash against AZ loomed on the horizon. The Alkmaar outfit had already bested Ajax twice in the current season – once in the league (2-1 in December) and again in the KNVB Cup (2-0 in January).
The game served as a prelude to Ajax’s 125th birthday celebrations, taking place on Tuesday, March 18th, making the home encounter against AZ a perfect occasion to share in the festivities with 55,000 fans at the Johan Cruyff ArenA. Ajax unveiled a unique kit marking the first version of their iconic red-white-white colours from 1911, while AZ sported a kit inspired by the historic windmills of the Alkmaar region.
Dubbed one of the most significant fixtures in the title race, the match kicked off slightly later than the scheduled 16.45 CET on a chilly Sunday afternoon, the referee delaying the start by nearly 15 minutes due to an extravagant pyro display from Ajax’s passionate supporters.
As the smoke cleared, Ajax and AZ engaged in a tightly contested, physical battle. The intense confrontations between AZ defender Wouter Goes and Ajax forward Brian Brobbey set the tone early in the match.
Referee Dennis Higler let most physical tussles go unpunished but halted several promising counterattacks with his whistles, leading to gasps of frustration from Ajax assistant Felipe Sanchez Mateos. A single yellow card was insufficient to pacify the Spaniard, resulting in a red card for him soon after.
Despite the physical nature of the contest, the quality of the football waned, and both teams headed into the break without scoring.
Just two minutes after Kenneth Taylor struck the post for Ajax, AZ’s Zico Buurmeester scored the opener. A defensive error handed Buurmeester a golden opportunity, which he clinically converted in the 52nd minute. Ajax responded quickly as Anton Gaaei combined effectively with Bertrand Traore, netting the equaliser in the bottom-left corner.
Comedy of Errors
However, the match quickly took an unusual turn. Gaaei’s poorly timed challenge led to a VAR review and a straight red card for him after he struck Buurmeester with excessive force.
Consequently, Gaaei will serve a two-match suspension, meaning he will miss the crucial title showdown against PSV on Sunday, March 30th.
In another twist just two minutes later, Higler sent off Portuguese defender Alexandre Penetra with a second yellow after a questionable challenge on Brobbey, leaving AZ players bewildered and furious with the officiating.
Tension escalated, resulting in a confrontation between the coaching staff as play was temporarily halted. Goes attempted to persuade his team to walk off the pitch in protest, but cooler heads ultimately prevailed, and the game resumed.
The teams exchanged goals once again as Ibrahim Sadiq’s header restored AZ’s lead, before Oliver Edvardsen equalised mere minutes later.
A 2-2 draw saw Ajax fail to secure points in yet another milestone match, echoing their 1-0 defeat to FC Twente during their 100th anniversary celebrations in 2000.
“Unbelievable, truly bizarre, seriously,” commented AZ captain Jordy Clasie regarding Dennis Higler’s officiating. “I think he (Higler) was uncomfortable throughout the match. If you spoke to him, he would not allow it; perhaps he was under immense stress.”
Higler later acknowledged his mistake in issuing a second yellow card to Penetra but declined to comment further when approached by ESPN.
The draw reduced Ajax’s earlier 8-point lead to just 6, as PSV secured a 3-0 victory over RKC Waalwijk on Saturday night.
Peter Bosz’s men made a standout performance thanks to the efforts of Noa Lang, Luuk de Jong, and Ivan Perisic, each contributing significantly to the win. Lang’s powerful strike broke the deadlock, while de Jong and Perisic added a goal and an assist each, ending PSV’s four-game winless streak away from home.
After a series of poor performances, Bosz had opted for Isaac Babadi in midfield over Ismael Saibari, leaving the latter behind due to repeated tardiness for training.
Saibari, who has enjoyed a productive season with 11 goals and 11 assists, will have to reprove himself after the international break, starting with the crucial home contest against Ajax.
No team, however, celebrated the weekend better than Feyenoord and their new manager Robin van Persie, who scored his first victory in charge with an emphatic 6-2 win against FC Twente.
Ayase Ueda’s brace, coupled with three assists from Givairo Read and an astonishing five goal contributions from Brazilian winger Igor Paixao, showcased a commanding performance by Feyenoord. This was Van Persie’s inaugural win after three attempts and just their third victory in the last nine Eredivisie fixtures, yet it was significant in magnitude.
Feyenoord’s players clicked from the outset when Read assisted Ueda’s opener, with Paixao following up with a stunning strike. Paixao later linked with Ueda for a third goal before half-time, leaving Twente bewildered.
The Eredivisie’s leading goalscorer, Sem Steijn, attempted to respond for Twente but Feyenoord were irresistible, with Paixao wrapping up his hat-trick in the second half and 18-year-old Aymen Sliti scoring his first senior goal to conclude the rout.
On a personal note, Van Persie welcomed back In-beom Hwang, who returned after a five-week injury lay-off and successfully helped his team climb into fourth position ahead of FC Twente. Van Persie expressed immense satisfaction with his squad’s performance, noting, “I was particularly pleased to see the variety in our goals.” He added, “We need to maintain this standard and work hard every day, as some players demonstrated fatigue by the end.”
Meanwhile, FC Utrecht’s grip on third place slipped further after they lost to NEC in a lacklustre home performance. The visitors capitalised on a penalty awarded due to a reckless challenge from American international Paxten Aaronson, which presented Vito van Crooij with a chance to score the opener in the 82nd minute.
Utrecht’s decline in form could jeopardise their Champions League qualification ambitions as they’ve managed just four wins in their last 14 league matches, a slump dating back to December 1st.
In contrast, NEC relished their first Eredivisie win in nearly two months, climbing to 11th and closing in on eighth-placed Fortuna Sittard.
Elsewhere, Go Ahead Eagles edged closer to a season-best points tally after narrowly defeating Willem II 1-0. Finnish talisman Oliver Antman provided his 12th assist this season for Milan Smit’s decisive goal.
The Eagles solidified their grip on seventh place, holding a 12-point cushion over Fortuna Sittard, who suffered a loss to FC Groningen. Groningen marked their ascent from 15th place a month ago with a commendable victory, thanks to a late goal from Icelandic forward Brynjolfur Willumsson.
In a Friday night opening fixture, Almere City and NAC Breda settled for a 1-1 draw in the Yanmar Stadion. Sydney van Hooijdonk, son of former UEFA Cup victor Pierre van Hooijdonk, opened the scoring, but his joy was short-lived as Charles-Andreas Brym levelled for Almere City moments later.
The Saturday fixtures concluded with Sparta and PEC Zwolle sharing the spoils in a 1-1 draw, after Olivier Aertssen and Tobias Lauritsen exchanged goals in quick succession shortly after half-time.
Heerenveen and Heracles Almelo closed the Saturday matchday with their own 1-1 draw, where Jizz Hornkamp and Marcus Linday found the net.
As this round of Eredivisie action came to a close, the football fraternity turned its gaze towards the next round, anticipating the monumental clash between PSV and Ajax, pivotal in the race for the title.
Winners of the Week
Feyenoord revitalised their confidence with Van Persie’s first managerial victory, AZ proved a thorn in Ajax’s side once again, and PSV’s emphatic triumph over RKC Waalwijk breathed new life into their title chase. The shadows of the 7-1 defeat to Arsenal seem to have faded as Peter Bosz’s squad looks to mount a challenge to Ajax.
A victory post-international break could see PSV close the gap to just three points. After a tough patch, the team has now secured back-to-back Eredivisie wins for the first time since December and managed their first clean sheet of 2025.
However, daunting fixtures await, with encounters against FC Twente and Feyenoord following Ajax in late April and early May.
The title race is far from over, with the showdown between Ajax and PSV set to intensify.
Losers of the Week
FC Utrecht’s aspirations for a Champions League spot have hit a snag due to poor form in recent weeks.
Utrecht has won merely two out of their last 14 league matches, resulting in their significant lead over competitors dwindling. The recent loss to NEC has left Utrecht with only a 2-points lead over Feyenoord, who have a crucial game in hand.
With only two clean sheets in 15 matches, they need to swiftly address their form if they’re to secure their European ambitions.
Goal of the Week
When your team is dominating a tricky away match and the opposition appears bewildered, you might just seize an opportunity to capitalize.
Feyenoord’s Igor Paixao certainly knew how to maximize this moment, unleashing a thunderous strike for the second goal against FC Twente, earning him the title of Goal of the Week.
Team of the Week
Here’s our Team of the Week for round 26 of the Eredivisie.
It’s hard to argue against Igor Paixao as last week’s standout performer. Scoring three goals and providing two assists in the 6-2 dismantling of FC Twente, coupled with his incredible strike for Goal of the Week, showcased his electric talent. His impressive form had already been evident against AC Milan in their Champions League clash.
Joining him in the attack are Luuk de Jong and Noa Lang, whose performances were pivotal in their 3-0 win at Waalwijk. De Jong’s contributions included a goal and an assist, while Lang added a strike along with three chances created and a 93% pass accuracy.
In the midfield, FC Groningen’s Stije Resink, Joey Veerman from PSV, and Heracles captain Brian De Keersmaecker also made their mark. Resink effectively controlled the midfield in Groningen’s 1-0 victory, while Veerman assisted Perisic’s goal, dictating play with numerous passes and chances created. De Keersmaecker, despite being the lowest-rated player, contributed an assist alongside solid defensive work.
In defence, NEC’s Bram Nuytinck shone brightly after delivering a formidable performance against Utrecht. He excelled in passing, winning duels, and making key defensive interventions without committing any fouls.
Feyenoord’s Givairo Read made history as the youngest player in Eredivisie history to lay on three assists in a single game, amplifying the significance of his performance in a statement win against Enschede. FC Groningen’s Marco Rente assisted his team’s goal and was the most influential in chances created.
Mike Eerdhuijzen rounded out the defence with perfect duel records and exceptional clearance stats, while Robin Roefs earned his spot as goalkeeper with crucial saves, including one at the last minute against Utrecht.
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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