Feyenoord battered Ajax 6-2 in De Klassieker on Sunday to put a dent in the Amsterdammer’s title hopes.

The Klassieker had big consequences for both teams with Ajax looking for a win to put them back within two points of PSV, while Feyenoord were looking to get back into the race for second and get their first win over their rivals at home in the league since 2012.

Ajax started brightly and in the 8th minute, they were ahead. Kasper Dolberg, who had already gone close was brought down just outside the box and Lasse Schone curled an excellent free-kick past Kenneth Vermeer.

However, Feyenoord equalised in the 15th minute when Robin van Persie’s flick sent Steven Berghuis free down the right. The winger’s cross found Jens Toornstra in the box and he stabbed the ball through Andre Onana’s legs.

The game was end to end and in the 31st minute, Feyenoord had the lead. Van Persie flicked the ball to Toornstra, whose cross found an unmarked Berghuis at the back post and he finished from close range. However, Ajax went straight down the other end and Hakim Ziyech lashed the ball home at the second attempt to make it 2-2.

Sam Larsson missed an excellent chance to make it 3-2 after racing through on goal, but in the 42nd minute Van Persie smashed Toornstra’s cross into the net as Feyenoord regained their lead.

It could have been 4-2 before the break but Onana kept out Larsson’s effort from point blank range. Minutes into the second half, Tonny Vilhena also missed a great opportunity.

Feyenoord continued to have joy against the Ajax defence and it was 4-2 in the 55th minute. Berghuis swung in a cross and van Persie was on the end of it for a tap-in.

Erik ten Hag responded by taking of Magallan and Donny van de Beek for David Neres and Daley Sinkgraven. Ajax almost pulled one back shortly afterwards but Ziyech’s strike from distance came back off the post.

Van Bronckhorst decided to take off the excellent Van Persie for Jorgensen but his side didn’t stop pouring forward and with 25 minutes left Toornstra completed his hattrick of assists with a cross for Vilhena to tap in.

Feyenoord weren’t done and they completed their rout when a poor Sinkgraven pass was picked off and Jorgensen fed Yassin Ayoub to fire into the bottom corner.

The defeat is a hard one to take for Ajax and they fall five points behind PSV at the top, while Feyenoord remains third. The two teams meet again in the KNVB Cup semi-finals next month.




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