Ajax may be too far behind PSV to retain their title, but they restored pride to Amsterdam with a 3-1 win at the Philips Stadion.
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The 14 point gap at the top of the table going into the match has all but guaranteed that PSV will win the title, and they started the match with some swagger as Luuk de Jong and Luciano Narsingh combined with a clever 1-2 in the opening two minutes, but Jasper Cillessen denied the winger.
PSV continued to dominate with Cillessen having to stop two long range efforts from Depay, and a Wijnaldum header, but on the half hour mark a counter attack from Ajax saw Anwar El Ghazi find Ricardo Kishna at the back post and he squeezed the ball past Jeroen Zoet for the opening goal.
After the break PSV went looking for the equaliser, but they were denied two penalties calls with Georginio Wijnaldum appearing to be blocked off by Nick Viergever, while Nicolai Boilesen handled a Guardado pass.
Ajax came close to doubling their lead on 76 minutes when Lasse Schone crashed a 30-yard free kick off the crossbar and straight from that miss PSV attacked and Jetro Willems cross was powerfully headed past Cillessen by De Jong.
The impetus was with PSV to take the lead, but Depay sent a curling shot just wide of the post and moments later Ajax were awarded another free kick just outside the box, and Schone’s strike deflected off Jurgen Locadia, wrong-footing Zoet to restore Ajax’s lead. In injury time El Ghazi added a third on the counter with a lovely curling strike after cutting inside Nicolas Isimat Marin.
Ajax now sit 11 points off PSV in second, and although they are unlikely to close that gap with nine games to go, they gained revenge against their rivals for the defeat in Amsterdam last August.
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