PSV suffered its first defeat of the season on Saturday evening. In the Johan Cruijff Arena, Ajax was too strong 3-2. Despite the fact that PSV took the lead twice, a victory was not actually possible. The leader played a mediocre match and now sees the gap with Ajax shrinking to two losing points.
PSV played a very bad first half in Amsterdam. But the team knows that it can always rely on a phenomenon: Luuk de Jong. Because without PSV having even been close to Ajax’s goal, it was the striker who scored for the eighth time in a row against the Amsterdam club.
A corner from Noa Lang fell on the head of De Jong, who headed hard into the intersection. PSV started with a lead.
Deserved equalizer
It was also almost the only achievement of the leader in the first half. Ajax was better and dominant in football. Walter Benitez had to save from a long shot by Kian Fitz-Jim in the opening phase. The deserved equalizer was scored just before half time. After an excellent cross from Jorrel Hato, Davy Klaassen headed in the 1-1.
There must have been thunder in the PSV dressing room afterwards. At a time when PSV could perhaps decide the title early, it played a worthless match. A win would also put Ajax on eleven points. Feyenoord, last season’s number two, was already eleven points behind PSV.
Blunder Tillman
PSV came out of the dressing room better and quickly received the reward for the better game. Substitute Mauro Júnior passed the ball and Ivan Perisic hit the target on the edge of sixteen. PSV took the lead again.
But the better play was a short-lived revival. After that, PSV’s performance became mediocre again. Ajax dominated and leveled through Fitz-Jim. Fifteen minutes before the end there was another blow for the leader. In his own sixteen, Tillman passed the ball into the feet of Mika Godts, who gave Ajax the lead for the first time in the match.
Lead on the rankings is shrinking
PSV still had fifteen minutes to prevent a first defeat of the season. But PSV’s performance was also very poor in the final phase of the match. Despite the fact that the team has taken the lead twice, a victory has never actually been possible. Ajax came closest to a goal. Kenneth Taylor hit the post five minutes before the end.
The 3-2 defeat has brought the tension back into the competition. PSV is still the leader of the Eredivisie and has a five-point lead over Ajax. But the team from Amsterdam have played one match less. PSV is longing for the return of Veerman and Schouten and hopes to resume the winning streak against NAC next week. Now first lick the wounds.
