Due to the international break, the ninth round of action in the Dutch top flight got underway on Saturday evening with two fixtures kicking off simultaneously that saw reigning Eredivisie champions, PSV Eindhoven tune up for their UEFA Champions League encounter with Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday evening by hitting a hapless FC Emmen for six to move eight points clear at the top of the standings ahead of the rest of the weekend’s fixtures while, at the same time, goals from Jeffry Fortes and Jurgen Mattheij saw an undermanned Excelsior edge out Vitesse Arnhem at the Van Donge & De Roo Stadion.

Saturday’s Eredivisie action was concluded with two more fixtures that saw title-chasing Ajax, who themselves welcome Benfica to the Johan Cruijff ArenA in UEFA Champions League action on Tuesday evening, promptly reduce PSV’s advantage at the top of the table back to five points after Erik ten Hag’s men hit Heerenveen for four without reply in Friesland while an own goal from the unlucky Ricardo van Rhijn saw FC Utrecht snatch all three points from under the noses of visiting AZ Alkmaar at the Stadion Galgenwaard.

Sunday’s action in the top flight of Dutch football got underway in Breda where a Mikhail Rosheuvel spot kick sixteen minutes from time ultimately proved enough to earn bottom-of-the-table, NAC a share of the spoils from their derby clash with Willem II.

Elsewhere, goals from Peniel Mlapa and Jay-Roy Grot saw VVV Venlo sweep aside the challenge of visiting ADO Den Haag to edge their way into the top five.

Meanwhile, Heracles ended the weekend five points and one place better off than VVV after coming from a goal down to hit struggling FC Groningen for four at the Polman Stadion while, with the season’s first instalment of De Klassieker on the horizon, Feyenoord hit PEC Zwolle for three to move within two points of second placed Ajax.

The ninth round of Eredivisie action was brought to a close in Sittard where Fortuna hit fellow newly-promoted side, De Graafschap for three to move three points clear of the drop zone.

Results

PSV Eindhoven 6-0 FC Emmen

Excelsior 2-0 Vitesse Arnhem

SC Heerenveen 0-4 AFC Ajax

FC Utrecht 2-1 AZ Alkmaar

NAC Breda 2-2 Willem II

VVV Venlo 2-0 ADO Den Haag

Heracles Almelo 4-1 FC Groningen

Feyenoord 3-0 PEC Zwolle

Fortuna Sittard 3-1 De Graafschap 

Team of the Week

GK – Justin Bijlow – Feyenoord

DF – Denzel Dumfries – PSV

DF – Angelino – PSV

DF – Branislav Ninaj – Fortuna Sittard

DF – Jurgen Mattheij – Excelsior

MF – Tino Susic – VVV

MF – Gaston Pereiro – PSV

MF – Hakim Ziyech – Ajax

FW – Luuk De Jong – PSV

FW – Lazaros Lamprou – Fortuna Sittard

FW – Hirving Lozano – PSV

Player of the Week

FW – Hirving Lozano – PSV

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