Eredivisie Round 16 Results: No surprises as Ajax, AZ, PSV and Twente all record victories

The table-topper bagged the full three points against De Graafschap, while the club's title rivals all won their respective games as well.

By Stefan Coerts


 
Eredivisie: Round 16
Results

Table/Fixtures

Friday DECEMBER 9

Sunday DECEMBER 11
KO
ADO Den Haag - Heracles
2-0 VVV - Roda
2-0
Saturday DECEMBER 10
RKC - Ajax
0-1
Twente - NEC 2-0 Utrecht - Feyenoord
2-2
AZ - De Graafschap
4-0 Vitesse - Groningen
0-0
Excelsior - Heerenveen
0-5

PSV - NAC
1-0  
 





ADO Den Haag
2-0
Heracles
The home side started the match with attacking intentions and was rewarded for its positive attitude after only eight minutes of play when young striker Mike van Duinen broke the deadlock.

Heracles then did its utmost to get back in the game, but failed to really trouble ADO and the home side doubled the lead in the closing stages of the match via captain Lex Immers.

Twente
2-0
NEC
Twente put in a far from convincing performance in the opening 45 minutes of the game and had every reason to be pleased that it was still scoreless at halftime as NEC got several chances to open the scoring.

Nevertheless, the Nijmegen side was unable to find the net and was made to pay for its sloppy finishing after the interval.

The NEC defense allowed Luuk de Jong too much space and the forward beat Gabor Babos with a low shot from 25 yards out. The goalscorer turned provider shortly after when he set up Nacer Chadli inside the area, and the Belgium international calmly shot home to put the match to bed.
AZ
4-0
De Graafschap
The table topper recovered from last week's heavy 5-1 loss against Heerenveen by recording a comfortable win over De Graafschap.

AZ went up early on after Brett Holman set up Adam Maher on the edge of the area, and the young midfielder fired home to gift his side the lead. Holman again proved to be important for the home side shortly after when he found Simon Poulsen down the left. The Danish defender cut inside and added his name to the score sheet with a calm finish.

Things would only get worse for the Doetinchem side after the interval as defender Vito Wormgoor netted an own goal after good work from Jozy Altidore, before substitute Charlison Benschop made it four with a delicate shot over the goalkeeper.
Excelsior
0-5
Heerenveen

Excelsior was high on confidence ahead of the game following its scoreless draw against table-topper AZ in midweek, but Saturday proved to be not the club's night.

Heerenveen needed only 13 minutes to break the deadlock and it was towering striker Bas Dost who got the goal after a good cross from Oussama Assaidi. Dost doubled his tally only five minutes later with yet another good header, this time from a Luciano Narsingh cross, and Dost even got his hat trick shortly before the interval.

Despite his three goals in the opening 45 minutes, the Excelsior defense failed to closely mark Dost in the second half and the former Heracles star found the net once again in the 58th minute after an assist from Narsingh.

The inevitable Dost got his fifth goal of the evening halfway through the second half after Narsingh's fourth assist to cap a truly memorable evening.

PSV
1-0
NAC
PSV started the game superbly and came close to opening the scoring within one minute after some excellent work from Ola Toivonen. Nevertheless, striker Tim Matavz was unable to tap home his low cross from the left.

The Eindhoven side did get the goal it was after in the 37th minute via Dries Mertens. The Belgian winger cut inside from the left and beat NAC shot stopper Jelle ten Rouwelaar with a low shot in the far corner.

Substitute Jeremain Lens made the headlines for all the wrong reasons well into stoppage time when he received his marching orders after two needless yellow cards within 15 seconds.

VVV
2-0
Roda
VVV dominated play right from the start in its first match since the departure of head coach Glenn De Boeck and the team went 1-0 up in the dying seconds of the first half.

Roda goalkeeper Pawel Kieszek fouled Ahmed Musa inside the area, leaving the referee no choice but to dismiss the Pole and award VVV a spot kick. Barry Maguire stepped up to take it and found the top corner.

The away side then got a penalty of its own after the interval, but Mads Junker's effort was saved by Wilko de Vogt.

Atacking midfielder Bryan Linssen put the match to bed in the 83rd minute with a placed shot after some good work from Musa.
RKC
0-1
Ajax
Ajax was lucky to escape an early RKC goal after some sloppy defending from Daley Blind as striker Geoffrey Castillion aimed wide from a narrow angle.

The Amsterdam side had lady luck on its side shortly before the halftime whistle as it went 1-0 up after an own goal from Guy Ramos, who attempted to clear a cross from Christian Eriksen.

The team should have doubled its lead in the 51st minute when Nicolas Lodeiro tapped home a cross from the left, but the goal was miraculously called off for offside.

Ajax was awarded a spot kick in the 65th minute when Sigourney Bandjar fouled Davy Klaassen inside the area, but Miralem Sulejmani's weak shot was kept out by Jeroen Zoet.
Utrecht
2-2
Feyenoord
Feyenoord started the match superbly and needed only two minutes to open the scoring. The Utrecht defense allowed John Guidetti too much space and the young Swede found the net with a powerful long range strike.

Although the visiting side continued to be the better side of the two, Utrecht restored parity at the half hour mark when fullback Daan Bovenberg headed home a free kick from the left.

Utrecht even grabbed the lead after the break when Edouard Duplan tapped home a rebound after a chaotic situation in front of the Feyenoord goal.

Nevertheless, Jerson Cabral helped the visiting side to a deserved draw with a shot that surprised Utrecht goalkeeper Rob van Dijk.
Vitesse
0-0
Groningen
Both sides got plenty of chances in the Gelredome, with Vitesse's Jan-Arie van der Heijden and Groningen's Leandro Bacuna in particular coming close, but both goalkeepers proved to be too much of an obstacle as it ended goalless in Arnhem.

Vitesse ended the game with 10 men after attacking midfielder Nicky Hofs was shown his second yellow card in the 75th minute after a reckless challenge on Tom Hiariej.


 
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