Just like last year, PSV defeated Ajax in the battle for the Johan Cruijff Scale. Thanks to a hat trick by Guus Til, the cup winner won 5-3 against the national champion in a spectacular performance in Amsterdam on Saturday.
Ajax took the lead after fifteen minutes with a goal from Steven Bergwijn. Yet it was PSV that was allowed to take a break with a lead. Guus Til, who played for Feyenoord last season, scored twice on a pass from Cody Gakpo.
In the second half of the goal-rich game, Antony tied the score, but then PSV seemed to create a decisive gap. Gakpo took advantage of a blunder by goalkeeper Jay Gorter and Til completed his hat trick a little later.
Substitute Mohammed Kudus brought the tension back, but while Ajax was chasing the equalizer, another substitute did his team a disservice. Calvin Bassey was shown a red card for a hard tackle twelve minutes before time after the intervention of the VAR. PSV took advantage and made it 5-3 via Xavi Simons.
It is for the second time in a row that PSV takes the Johan Cruijff Scale at the expense of Ajax. Last year it even became 4-0 for the Eindhoven team, who won the Dutch Super Cup a total of thirteen times. Ajax took the first prize of the season nine times.
The match for the Johan Cruijff Scale also marked the official baptism of fire for Alfred Schreuder and Ruud van Nistelrooij as trainers at their new club. Schreuder succeeded Erik ten Hag at Ajax, Van Nistelrooij took over from Roger Schmidt at PSV.