Ajax, PSV drop points ahead of clash

One week before the top of the table match in Eindhoven, Ajax failed to profit from the draw of Dutch League leaders PSV, with the Amsterdam based giants drawing 2-2 at home against NEC.

After NEC midfielder Navarone Foor lost the ball, Polish striker Arek Milik opened the scoring in the Amsterdam Arena on Sunday. Foor made up for his mistake when he equalized three minutes later, reports Xinhua.

Early in the second half, NEC defender Rens van Eijden put a cross by Ajax forward Amin Younes in his own goal in an attempt to clear. Thanks to this goal, Ajax looked on his way to victory and to the first spot in the Dutch league, but eight minutes from time Christian Santos headed in the equaliser.

On Saturday, PSV dropped their first points after 10 league wins in a row. The reigning champions drew 1-1 against sc Heerenveen in Eindhoven. Mitchell te Vrede gave the visitors the lead in the 53rd minute and Luuk de Jong headed in the equalizer three minutes later on a cross by Luciano Narsingh.

PSV pushed Heerenveen back for the winner in the remainder of the second half, but failed. With the return against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday and the clash against Ajax coming up, the draw came at a bad moment.

Also on Saturday, AZ Alkmaar beat Willem II 2-0. Vincent Janssen scored twice to move to the joint first place on the Dutch top scorers list together with Luuk de Jong. Both Dutch strikers scored 19 goals.

Feyenoord beat Vitesse 2-0 in Arnhem on Sunday. Michiel Kramer and Bilal Basacikoglu scored in the final 20 minutes, both assisted by Rick Karsdorp. Also on Sunday, Heracles Almelo defeated SC Cambuur 3-1.

Due to the draw of both PSV and Ajax, reigning champions PSV maintained the Eredivisie lead with 66 points, one point ahead of Ajax. Both teams meet on March 20 in Eindhoven for a possible championship decider. Feyenoord and AZ are third and fourth with 46 points.