Ajax have almost wrapped up their fourth Eredivisie title in a row with a 2-1 win at De Kuip against bitter rivals Feyenoord in the 176th De Klassieker writes Will Burns.
Sunday 2nd March 2014
FC UTRECHT 1-1 FC TWENTE
The title hopes of FC Twente have all but ended after they failed to defeat FC Utrecht on Sunday.
The visitors began the game well and took the lead through the in-form winger Quincy Promes. After the Utrecht defence failed to clear a cross, Norwegian striker Torgeir Børven nodded the ball to back post so that Promes could lash home a half volley into the roof of the net.
The equaliser came seconds after the restart with Australian Tommy Oar scoring his first goal for Utrecht with a great solo effort.
Utrecht are now four points clear from the relegation zone, while Twente climb back up into the Champions League qualifying spot.
TEAMS
UTRECHT: Ruiter, Van der Maarel, Markiet, Delpierre, Dorda, Martensson, Ayoub (Diemers 81), Sarota, Toornstra, Oar, De Ridder.
SUBS NOT USED: Verhoeven, Velzen, Quesada, Bjelica, Agudelo, Klaiber.
GOALS: Oar 46.
BOOKINGS: Van der Maarel 24, Toornstra 69.
TWENTE: Marsman, Rosales, Martina, Bjelland, Koppers, Ebecilio, Tadić, Promes, Gutierrez, Castaignos, Børven (Corona 72).
SUBS NOT USED: Stevens, Mokhtar, Breukers, Eghan, Schilder, Roseler.
GOALS: Promes 18.
BOOKINGS: Koppers 19, Ebecilio 69.
FEYENOORD 1-2 AJAX
Frank de Boer’s Ajax failed to suffer a Europa League hangover to clinch a vital 2-1 win in the De Klassieker on Sunday afternoon. The win virtually eliminates all the other title challengers as Ajax now sit eight points clear at the top of the Eredivisie.
Ronald Koeman’s men suffered a fatal blow in the title race as Feyenoord failed to hold onto a goal lead and Ajax now look set to clinch their fourth consecutive Eredivisie championship.
De Kuip was full to capacity for the 176th Klassieker which saw a great opening goal from Graziano Pellè on the half-hour. The Italian, who was granted permission to play by the KNVB after having a one-match ban for his outburst at Twente last week suspended for a year, powerfully nodded home a Bruno Martins Indi cross for his 19th league goal of the season.
Ajax got back into it and the sides went in level at half-time. Icelandic striker Kolbeinn Sigthórsson equalised on the stroke of half-time after an excellent run into the area from Ricardo Kishna.
Ajax completed their comeback on 72 minutes courtesy of central defender Joël Veltman, who fired home from a scramble after a Lerin Duarte corner.
Ajax are now unbeaten for 14 games in the league and look set to retain their title. Feyenoord, on the other hand, now sit in fourth, four points adrift of second place, which they will need if they dream of Champions League football next year.
After the game, Pelle was interviewed by FOX Sports reporter Jan Joost van Gangelen – if you have not heard about it, it is controversial, click here to read more and view the video.
TEAMS
FEYENOORD: Mulder, Janmaat, De Vrij, Kongolo, Martins Indi, Vilhena, Immers, Clasie (Vormer 78), Boëtius (Goossens 86), Schaken (Te Verde 76), Pellè.
SUBS NOT USED: Lamprou, Mathijsen, Van Beek, Verhoek.
GOALS: Pellè 30.
BOOKINGS: Clasie 50, Te Vrede 77.
AJAX: Cillessen, Van Rhijn, Veltman, Moisander, Blind, Serero (Duarte 64), Polusen, Klaassen, De Jong, Kishna (De Sa 79), Bojan (Sigthórsson 38).
SUBS NOT USED: Vermeer, Riedewald, Denswil, Andersen.
GOALS: Sigthorsson 45, Veltman 72.
BOOKINGS: Veltman 89.
FC GRONINGEN 1-1 SC CAMBUUR
In horrible conditions inside the Euroborg, FC Groningen and SC Cambuur shared the points in a 1-1 draw.
The pitch was heavily waterlogged which left the teams taking to the air when creating chances, however, we had to wait until the second half for goals.
A counter attack brought the first goal just five minutes after the interval when Tjaronn Chery tapped home after from a great run down the left wing by Filip Kostic.
However, the game ended a draw after Elvis Manu, on-loan from Feyenoord, notched a spot-kick on 77 minutes. Referee Kevin Blom had deemed Johan Kappelkof has handballed Jody Lukoki’s cross.
TEAMS
GRONINGEN: Bizot, Hateboer, Burnet, Kapplehof, Botteghin, Hiariej (Van der Velden 79), Kieftenbeld, De Leeuw (Kirm 57), Chery, Kostic, Zeefuik (Zivkovic 83).
SUBS NOT USED: Lei, Van Neiff, Wijnladum, Lindgren.
GOALS: Chery 50.
BOOKINGS: De Leeuw 26, Hiariej 60, Kirm 75, Hateboer 80, Kieftenbeld 90.
CAMBUUR: Nienhuis, Droeste, Leeuwin (Van Boxel 45), Laan, Bijker, Ritzmaier, El Makrini, Van Moorsel (Hemmen 64), Lukoki (Van Brakel 89), Manu, Barto.
SUBS NOT USED: Schepers, Zeinstra, Pereira, Mulders.
GOALS: Manu 77P.
BOOKINGS: Van Moorsel 58.
AZ ALKMAAR 4-0 RKC WAALWIJK
In the final game of the weekend, Dick Adovcaat’s AZ Alkmaar thumped RKC Waalwijk 4-0 at the AFAS Stadion.
The hosts found themselves in front after just nine minutes thanks to defender Jeffrey Gouweleeuw‘s first goal of the season.
Advocaat’s side managed to double their advantage with Nick Viergever adding a second in the 20th minute. This was his third goal in four games for the big central defender.
The lead was extended after the interval with Steven Berghuis doing the damage, scoring in the 48th and 59th minutes to help secure the convincing victory.
With the win, AZ are in seventh and improve their tally to 37 points, while RKC Waalwijk are in the drop zone, two points adrift to safety.
TEAMS
AZ: Esteban, Johansson, Gouweleeuw, Viergever, Poulsen, Gudelj, Ortiz (Gorter 63), Elm, Beerens (Gudmundsson 68), Berghuis (Haye 79), Jóhannsson.
SUBS NOT USED: De Winter, Hoedt, Lewis, Reijnen.
GOALS: Gouweleeuw 9, Viergever 20, Berghuis 48 & 59.
BOOKINGS: Gorter 70.
RKC: Šeda, Lamey, Hoevelen, Mosselveld, Amieux, Braber, Anderson (Peltzer 85), Sno, Joachim (Jungschläger 71), Castelen (Beauguel 74), Schet.
SUBS NOT USED: Van Dijk, Ivens, Apau, Duits.
GOALS: None.
BOOKINGS: Lamey 39, Anderson 75.
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