Netherlands round-up: PSV close in on title

PSV Eindhoven moved a step closer to the Eredivisie title with an emphatic 7-0 win at home to SC Excelsior.

Title within reach
With three games remaining, PSV maintained their six-point lead over second-placed AFC Ajax, and need four points to be sure of regaining the league title. However, despite the resounding margin of victory, it took PSV 32 minutes to breach the Excelsior defence, before captain Mark van Bommel opened the scoring.

Second-half dominance
Van Bommel scored his second goal a minute before the interval, and Mateja Kezman effectively settled the match, adding a third seconds before the half-time whistle. Van Bommel scored twice more in the second period, with Kezman adding another and Arjen Robben completing a resounding win.

Narrow victory
Ajax stayed in second place with a narrow 2-1 win at NEC Nijmegen, who took the lead after eleven minutes through Youssouf Hersi. Ajax struggled to find a way back into the game, but eventually equalised five minutes past the hour as Jari Litmanen found the target, and Maxwell completed the comeback with the winning goal 12 minutes from time.

Feyenoord comeback
Feyenoord remained a point behind Ajax after a 2-1 win at home to RKC Waalwijk, who surprised their opponents as Patrick van Diemen opened the scoring after six minutes. Bonaventure Kalou equalised before half-time, heading into the net from close range, and Pierre van Hooijdonk scored the decisive goal with a 77th-minute free-kick.

NAC move seventh
NAC Breda moved into seventh place as goals from Orlando Engelaar and Kevin Bobson earned a 2-0 win against FC Utrecht, while FC Twente were held to a 0-0 draw at home by FC Zwolle.

Late recovery
AZ Alkmaar maintained their challenge for a European place with a 3-2 win against Willem II, with late goals from Ali Elkhattabi and Robin Nelisse sealing a 3-2 win, while SBV Vitesse moved away from the bottom of the table as Matthew Amoah's goal earned a 1-0 away win at bottom side De Graafschap.

One-goal victories
On Friday, SC Heerenveen secured a 2-1 success at home to FC Groningen, while Roda JC were 1-0 winners against RBC Roosendaal.