AZ 1-2 Vitesse
Breda 2-2 Sparta
Roda 1-1 Den Haag
VVV Venlo 2-1 Willem II
Utrecht 2-0 Ajax
Feyenoord 3-1 Groningen
Waalwijk 0-2 PSV
NEC 3-4 Twente
Heracles 3-1 Heerenveen
A seventh defeat of the season was too much for the beleaguered AZ board who dispensed of the services of Ronald Koeman after Vitesse sprang a surprise with a win at the Almaaderhout. It left the champions seventh after the festive weekend (it was St Nicholas' Day on Saturday), fully 19 points adrift of the league lead. Koeman hasn't been able to replicate the form shown last season, although the loss of players of the calibre of Demy de Zeeuw didn't help. Neither has injuries to Moussa Dembele and Mounir El Hamdaoui who were so impressive last season. Moreover, the ongoing financial crisis which claimed their main sponsors and owners has severely hampered the club as it looks to move forward. However, push comes to shove at some point and a home defeat to Vitesse was enough for the board to push the button. Dembele was back in for this one and put the champions in front nine minutes in, but two goals in ten second half minutes turned the game on it's head, Lasse Nilsson and Dalibor Stevanovic giving the Arnhem side the lead. As tempers frayed, Dembele and Stevanovic were sent off following a scuffle and Vitesse almost made it three late on as AZ poured forward in search of an equaliser. Even if it had come, it would probably have been too late for Koeman.
Ajax lost more ground on the leaders with not only a defeat in Utrecht, but also one in which they failed to score. The first half was one-way traffic with Ajax enjoying two-thirds of the possession and creating chance after chance. And yet they were indebted to Maarten Stekelenburg for keeping it level at the break as he pulled off a great reflex save from Ricky van Wolfswinkel on one of Utrecht's rare attacks. Three minutes after the break, Jacob Mulenga showed great strength to shrug off the attentions of Toby Alderweireld to score. After Marko Pantelic had wasted Ajax's best chance of the game, Jan Wuytens made it 2-0 and Ajax's afternoon was completed by Vurnon Anita's late dismissal. Later on Sunday, PSV and Ajax both won to leave Ajax nine points off the pace. It really is a two-horse race now. PSV had a comfortable afternoon in Waalwijk as RKC were brushed aside, Jonathan Reis putting his side ahead on the hour and Danko Lazovic making it safe eight minutes from time. Twente had Bryan Ruiz to thank for rescuing them against NEC who mounted a tremendous fightback in a crazy first 45. John Goossens put the Nijmegeners ahead on the quarter hour, Bjorn Vleminckx instigating a neat move which Goossens finished in style, but Twente weren't behind for long as Kenneth Perez's perfect free-kick to the top corner levelled it up three minutes later. A further seven minutes on and Ruiz set up Blaise N'Kufo to give Steve McClaren's side the lead and Miroslav Stoch made it three on the half-hour. Back came NEC with Vlemickx scoring twice before half-time, Goossens turning provider for the first and the burly Swede losing his man in the box for a simple tap-in to make it 3-3. He turned villain in the second half, sent off for kicking out at Douglas. They were looking good to hold out, but in the 89th minute, Ronnie Stam's cross was met by Ruiz and the Costa Rican headed in the winner.
That defeat leaves NEC second-bottom on 13 points with four clubs sitting just a point above them. Two of those are Roda and Den Haag who drew 1-1 with one another on Friday. Mads Junker put Roda ahead only for Karim Soltani to level it and Roda were grateful for a point as they survived the last ten minutes a man short after Arnaud Djum was sent off. Willem II are another of those on 14 after they were denied by a late fightback from VVV Venlo. Arjan Swinkels put the Tilburgers ahead with a terrific, looping volley and, going into the last ten minutes, that looked like enough. Adil Auasser squared it up nine minutes from time and a stoppage time penalty from Keisuke Honda won it for VVV. Groningen are also on 14 and were soundly beaten by Feyenoord despite going ahead early through Koen van de Laak. Second half strikes from Stefan Babovic, Roy Makaay and Jon Dahl Tomasson eased Feyenoord to the win.
Heracles move above AZ into sixth after a comfortable win over Heerenveen. Mark Looms and a Willy Overtoom penalty gave Heracles a first half lead. Oussama Assaidi pulled one back late on, but any thoughts of a comeback were scotched by Bas Dost. European hopefuls Sparta and NAC drew 2-2, Rydell Poepon grabbing an equaliser after Sparta had blown a lead. Erik Falkenburg put them ahead in the first half, but Leonardo and Patrick Zwaanswijk scored within three minutes of each other after the break to put NAC in front. The lead only lasted three minutes before Poepon struck and so it remained.
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