PSV takes over Dutch lead as Ajax and Feyenoord crash

Dutch football club PSV Eindhoven became the new leader of the Dutch Eredivisie after hammering FC Utrecht 7-1 in Utrecht, with rivals Ajax and Feyenoord suffering blows.

Jurgen Locadia was PSV's main man on Sunday. The striker scored four times, of which one penalty. Hirving Lozano, Marco van Ginkel and Steven Bergwijn produced the other goals and Zakaria Labyad made the only home goal from the penalty spot, reports Xinhua news agency.

Also on Sunday Ajax lost 1-2 at home to Vitesse. The visitors, the reigning Dutch Cup holders, recovered well from their humiliating defeat by Amsterdam amateur side Swift in the first round of the 2017/2018 Dutch Cup on Thursday.

Guram Kashia and Milot Rashica gave Vitesse a 2-0 lead at half-time and the consolation goal by Nick Viergever came too late. "It is a crisis," Ajax head coach Marcel Keizer stated after the disappointing result.

On Saturday Feyenoord suffered their second defeat in a row, after last week's 0-1 loss against PSV. The reigning champions went down 0-2 at home against NAC Breda.

Giovanni Korte opened the scoring for NAC and after Feyenoord striker Michiel Kramer missed a penalty NAC substitute Thomas Enevoldsen secured the first away victory ever for NAC at Feyenoord in the Eredivisie.

Also on Saturday SC Heerenveen remained the only unbeaten team in the Eredivisie with a 2-1 win at Willem II in Tilburg. AZ lost 0-2 to Excelsior on Sunday due to two early penalties by Luigi Bruins, while PEC Zwolle drew 1-1 at VVV-Venlo.

PSV now lead the Eredivisie table with 15 points from six matches, followed by SC Heerenveen (14), Vitesse (13), Feyenoord (12), AZ (12), PEC Zwolle (11) and Ajax (11).

--IANS

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