Eredivisie final round

Sunday:
Heracles v Utrecht
Ajax v Twente
Den Haag v Vitesse
Groningen v NAC
AZ v Heerenveen
De Graafschap v Volendam
NEC v Sparta
Willem II v PSV
Feyenoord v Roda

The big game in the last round of fixtures in the Netherlands is at De Vijverberg where Volendam travel to take on De Graafschap. Currently, the two sides are in the relegation play-off positions - sixteenth and seventeenth - and a win for either would probably pull them out it. Roda are bottom and have a tough task in Rotterdam to stave off relegation. Having survived the merger plan that would have seen them subsumed into FC Sporting Limburg, they're still weighed down by financial woes and a dro pdown to the Eerste will not help, even with what could be decent derbies against VVV, MVV and Fortuna.

Speaking of financial woes, how badly will Ajax's failure to reach the Champions League prove? Very, we reckon. At least Marco van Basten saved them a pay-off by quitting rather than hanging around to get sacked. They complete their season at home to the side that pipped them for second, Twente. Steve McClaren claims this job wasn't about rehabilitation, but there has to be an element of that. If he can add the Dutch Cup to the second place finish, that would represent a terrific achievement. Heerenveen will hope to capitalise on AZ's recent poor form that has seen them lose more times in the last three weeks than in the rest of the season combined. They're two points back from the second automatic Europa League spot currently held by PSV. To overhaul the Eindhoven giants, they need to win and PSV to lose, such is PSV's goal difference. Trouble is that PSV are away at Willem II in what looks an awful mismatch. So Heerenveen will have to make do with the play-offs for the Europa League where they'll be joined by Groningen and two others. One of those others may be Groningen's opponents this week, NAC, who occupy the last play-off place, level on points with Feyenoord. Should either of those two slip up, Utrecht and Vitesse are waiting to pounce and both have winnable away games against lesser opposition. The permutations are myriad and we only have a couple of days before it all gets underway.

Sparta's win last week made them safe while NEC's defeat sees them unable to make those play-offs. So this is one game with absolutely bugger all riding on it.