‘Eyes on Second Place: PSV Players Concede Title After Defeat to Ajax’

Following Sunday’s 2-0 defeat to Ajax, PSV’s Luuk de Jong and Noa Lang have declared the title race effectively concluded.

This loss places PSV nine points behind Ajax, with just seven matches left to play—making it an unprecedented gap in Eredivisie history at this stage of the season.

“We failed to apply any real pressure on them,” lamented PSV captain Luuk de Jong in an interview with ESPN post-match. “They kept forcing us back, and even in those moments, we struggled to regain control. It was a lacklustre performance from us. We couldn’t generate the chances that we usually do. Credit to Ajax for their game plan.”

Despite having more possession and a superior expected goals (xG) tally of 0.47, PSV was unable to carve out significant chances against Ajax’s robust defence. When asked if Ajax were particularly impressive, De Jong responded, “They really limit the space. They consistently double up on our wingers and maintain tightness through the middle. They play exceptionally compact and disciplined. It’s incredibly tough to break through their lines.”

With the gap widening to nine points, De Jong has resigned himself to abandoning hope for retaining the Eredivisie title. “We must now shift our focus to securing second place,” he stated.

“A nine-point deficit is insurmountable. Historically, no team has managed to overturn such a gap with so few matches left. We’re not holding any illusions about that; our priority is now to finish in second place and secure a spot in the Champions League.”

‘Failed to manage the pressure’

“After losing to Ajax twice, the championship race is over. We clearly couldn’t handle the pressure. That’s the reality,” Lang remarked to ESPN.

“We simply let it slip away ourselves. Ajax outperformed us. Our objective now is to clinch second place; otherwise, we will find ourselves in the preliminary rounds of the Champions League.”

Lang was marked by Lucas Rosa, who stepped in for the suspended Anton Gaaei at right-back after Gaaei received a red card against AZ. Rosa successfully limited Lang to just one shot on target and two successful dribbles.

“You always have to keep the belief alive, but after trailing 0-2, you realise it’s going to be tough. Ajax were very compact. We struggled to break through, it’s as simple as that. Perhaps we were too static. We simply did not perform well today. We’ve earned this disappointment.”