A beating for FC Twente and points dropped for PSV have blown the race for the Eredivisie crown wide open this weekend, with Groningen still defying the odds and Ajax starting life after Martin Jol with a win.
The defending champions, FC Twente, were subjected to an embarrassing defeat this past weekend as they lost 6-2 away at Heerenveen. For the first hour of the game it was a case of 'whatever you can do, I can do better' between Heerenveen's Oussama Assaidi and Twente's Nacer Chadli. Assaidi put his side 1-0 up after twenty minutes, only for Chadli to pull the game back level twelve minutes later. But then it was Assaidi's turn again as he restored Heerenveen's lead and made sure they went in 2-1 up at the break.
It didn't take long for the battle to continue after the sides returned to the field as Chadli grabbed his and Twente's second of the night to make it 2-2. However it would be Assaidi and his team mates that would dominate from here on in. The Heerenveen striker grabbed two assists to accompany his two goals for the evening by finding Viktor Elm and Luciano Narsingh respectively with well-worked crosses to make it 4-2. And with just three minutes left he completed his hat-trick to make it five. Väyrynen also added a sixth from the penalty spot to cap a thoroughly miserable night for Preud'homme's men.
The most anticipated game of the weekend saw third come up against fifth as Groningen played host to AZ Alkmaar, and the home side continued to show that they deserve to be up there alongside the big guns with a 2-0 win.
Tim Matavž continued his great season by opening the scoring after eleven minutes with the first real attack of the game. Both teams created chances throughout the game but solid performances from both keepers, Luciano and Sergio Romero, saw that the scoreline stayed at 1-0 for the rest of the first half and most of the second.
However in the 78th minute Tim Sparv saw red for a challenge on AZ midfielder Rasmus Elm, and had seemingly given Gertjan Verbeek's men a way back in to the game. However, this was not to be the case, as before Alkmaar could capitalise on their numerical advantage they were also reduced to ten men when Héctor Moreno received his second yellow. Subsequently Matavž went on to get his second of the night, and tenth of the season, to wrap up all three points for Groningen and move them to within two points of the Eredivisie summit.
Friday night's game saw a 2-2 thriller between relegation battlers Heracles and Venlo. Heracles dominated the first half and went in 2-0 up through Everton and Armenteros goals. But struggling Venlo provided an unlikely comeback just after the hour mark, Ruud Boymans halving the deficit and then Michael Uchebo's dramatic equaliser with the last kick of the game making it 2-2.
There aren't many games where PSV don't manage goals, but last Saturday Graafschap earned an impressive point in front of their own fans by holding the leaders to a 0-0 draw. Orlando Engelaar's dismissal with just 36 minutes gone meant the visitor's had to see out most of the game with ten men, but even after Yuri Rose was sent off for the home side with ten minutes left neither side really looked like taking all three points.
NAC are now a point off of the Europa League play-offs after a 3-1 win over Utrecht. It was Utrecht who took the lead in the ninth minute through Silberbauer, but it was all Breda from there on in with goals from Fehér, an Alje Schut own goal and Luijckx sealing the win.
Willem II suffered their 14th defeat of the season, losing 3-1 away at NEC. Eredivisie top scorer Vleminckx put NEC 1-0 up, while a Lanik penalty made sure the sides went in level. But NEC proved too much for the league's basement club in the second half as Lasse Schöne and John Goossens earned a win for the hosts. Willem II now appear doomed to even the most optimistic of fans, having amassed four points from eighteen league games!
Roda remain sixth after an uneventful 1-1 draw with Den Haag. Both goals came in the first quarter of an hour, Willem Janssen making it 1-0 after nine minutes, only for Den Haag's Dmitry Bulykin to level it up four minutes later, and that's how it stayed.
Ajax got an important 1-0 away win at 15th placed Vitesse and are now just three points away from top spot. Christian Eriksen scored the only goal of the game just eleven minutes in, but the Amsterdam side were dominant and it could have been a lot more if it wasn't for impressive displays from both the Vitesse defence and keeper.
Feyenoord moved five points away from their opponents Excelsior and subsequently the drop zone by beating them 1-0 at the Du Kuip Stadion. Luc Castaignos scored the only goal of the game after 22 minutes in a closely fought affair that now sees Feyenoord unbeaten in three games as they continue to try and make the most of what has so far been a very disappointing campaign.