Groningen 2-0 Roda
Vitesse 0-3 NAC
Willem II 0-2 Twente
Heerenveen 5-2 Sparta
Heracles 1-1 Volendam
Feyenoord 1-0 PSV
Den Haag 3-0 NEC
Ajax 3-0 De Graafschap
Utrecht 0-1 AZ
The king is dead. While we have to wait a wee while for the destiny of the championship to be confirmed - but let's admit that it's off to Alkmaar, just that we've to wait to confirm it - we do know that the reigning champions cannot defend their title now. Four in a row is where it ends for PSV and they could not have surrendered their title more meekly than they did in a poor display in Rotterdam. Danko Lazovic, twice, and Edison Mendez missed open goals that would have put a dogged Feyenoord to bed. Typically, they were made to pay for their profligacy as Leroy Fer rose highest to nod home with seventeen minutes of the match remaining. Coupled with AZ's win over Utrecht. Maarten Martens scored early and AZ created a host of chances and dominated the game in typically ruthless fashion, though their clinical nature in front of goal seems to have deserted them temporarily.
PSV's defeat also gave Heerenveen the chance to go above the Eindhoveners and into an automatic qualifying spot for next season's Europa League. And this they did, stuffing Sparta 5-1 in a foul-tempered game that saw two of the Rotterdam side dismissed and Sparta in desperate bother at the wrong end of the table. Kim Jaggy was the first to go, picking up a second yellow on 31 minutes with Sparta already behind to Danijel Pranjic's penalty. Ruud Knol went for a professional foul, also giving away a second penalty, this one despatched by Roy Beerens. Patrik Ingelstein had scored in between times and a crazy last quarter of an hour saw Edouard Duplan pull one back before late, late goals from Michal Svec and Bonaventure Kalou wrapped things up. Twente remain second, eleven adrift of AZ. They extended their unbeaten run to seventeen with a routine 2-0 win over Willem II in Tilburg. Blaise N'Kufo scored early and Marko Arnautovic late on, keeping Steve McClaren's side on course for Champions League football. Ajax kept up the chase, beating De Graafschap 3-0 with Luis Suarez bagging two and Dario Cvitanich the other.
De Graafschap drop to the bottom of the table on goal difference as Volendam finally got off the foot with a 1-1 draw with Heracles. It could have been better, but Jan Wuytens equalised with seconds remaining. Melvin Platje had scored for Volendam with 20 minutes remaining, but they're the one side down at the bottom that's going in the right direction. Roda remain in the other relegation play-off place having been beaten 2-0 at Groningen on Friday night, Danny Holla and Tim Matavz with second half goals. That maintains Groningen's chase for European football, as do NAC who beat Vitesse in an impressive display and Den Haag eased any relegation worries, easing to a 3-0 win over NEC who look finished for the season a few weeks early.
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