The Eredivisie is back! And judging by this past weekend (with all eighteen of the league's sides in action) the second half of the season is looking like it's going to be just as action-packed and exciting as the first.
Dutch fans had to wait until Sunday afternoon for the biggest game of the weekend which saw 2nd placed FC Twente visit 4th placed FC Groningen. It was always going to be a tight affair between the two title chasers, but two goals from Marc Janko saw his side snatch all three points and keep the gap between the champions and leaders PSV to just a point.
The hosts had the majority of the early chances, but it wasn't until just past the half hour mark when they capitalised on this pressure. Slovenian international Tim Matavž continued the form he had shown before Christmas and put his side a goal to the good, grabbing his eleventh of the campaign in the process. However the lead was short-lived as Janko levelled things up from a seemingly offside position shortly before the break.
Much of the same followed after the restart with Matavž and Janko squandering great chances for their respective sides, but it was Janko and Twente that would have the last laugh with the Eredivisie's second highest scorer netting nine minutes from time. The Austrian had a chance to complete his hat trick from the spot late on but hit the post, however his brace proved enough to make sure all three points went back to Enschede.
Friday night's game saw Den Haag leapfrog Heerenveen in the table, and subsequently take their place in the Europa League play-off, with an impressive 3-1 win over Ron Jans' side. The home side dominated for most of the game and took a 1-0 lead with them at half time through Danny Buijs. And it didn't take long for them to double their lead after the restart when Charlton Vincento made it two. It looked as if the visitors were going to mount a late comeback when substitute Bas Dost scored in the 76th minute, but Lex Immers killed any hope of a comeback just a minute later with a well deserved goal making it 3-1.
The pick of Saturday's action saw mid-table sides Breda and Nijmegen share the spoils in a 2-2 draw with a gripping climax. Eredivisie top scorer Bjorn Vleminckx opened the scoring in the 39th minute, and it looked set to stay that way until a late flurry of goals, beginning in the 77th minute.
It started with an equaliser for Breda when Nemanja Gudelj found the bottom corner. John Goossens reinstated his side's one goal advantage just two minutes later, but a last gasp deflected strike from Marvin van der Pluijm in the 5th minute of injury time made sure NAC went home with a point.
Willem II finally managed their first league win of the season, beating fellow strugglers Vitesse 1-0. The Eredivisie's basement club took the lead on twenty six minutes when Rangelo Janga swept home a rebound. Vitesse seemed determined not to be the first side to lose to Tilburg but despite their efforts the game finished 1-0 and Willem II are now only 12 points from safety!
Feyenoord's troubles do not seem to have lessened over Christmas with a heart-breaking 1-0 loss in front of a sell-out De Kuip Stadion to visiting Graafschap. The home side dominated for the majority of the game and wasted a host of chances to take the lead. However, just as it looked like the game was going to end goalless, Leon Broekhof left Mario Been's side ruing their missed opportunities as he headed home just two minutes from time to earn his side all three points.
Heracles had been handed a 5-0 drubbing by FC Twente in midweek, but bounced back impressively at the weekend by holding Champions League chasing AZ Alkmaar to a 0-0 draw. Neither side offered much goalmouth action and a point each was probably a deserved outcome, but AZ will more than likely see it as two points dropped rather than one gained.
Sunday saw Ajax's title hopes take a major hit after they suffered a resounding 3-0 defeat away at now 7th placed Utrecht, a result that won't be persuading want-away striker Luis Suarez, who was absent from the squad, to stay with the Dutch giants. The hosts looked the most likely to score right from the off, and a seemingly goal-bound shot off the post was soon followed by the game's first goal when Edouard Duplan put Utrecht 1-0 up.
Duplan quickly doubled his tally and his side's lead two minutes later, making it 2-0. Ajax never looked like rectifying those crazy few minutes and in the 82nd minute Ismo Vostermans made it 3-0 and wrapped up the points for Utrecht.
PSV remain top of the table and a point clear of Twente after a comfortable 3-0 win at 17th placed VVV Venlo. Goals from Wilfred Bouma, Jermain Lens, and Atiba Hutchinson made sure that the Eredivisie pace-setters took all three points back to Eindhoven. Meanwhile VVV Venlo are now further adrift at second-bottom of the Eredivisie.
Roda took full advantage of Alkmaar's stalemate by beating Excelsior 3-0 and moving up into 5th place, only two points behind Groningen. The Kerkrade based side went in 2-0 up at half time with goals from Jimmy Hempte and Pa-Modou Kah. Excelsior's night only got worse after the break when Kaj Ramsteijn was dismissed in the 68th minute, and Morten Skoubo's goal six minutes from time sealed the 3-0 win.