Exciting battle for 3rd place and plenty of tension at the bottom: these matches are not to be missed on the penultimate matchday | Sport

There are still two rounds to go in the Vriendenloterij premier league and the tension is rising to a boiling point. What is still at stake during the denouement? We hand out stars: which matches should you absolutely not miss and where is it less interesting?

The last two rounds of the season will be crucial for Ajax. Places 1 and 2 – which entitle you to direct qualification for the Champions League – have disappeared from view. But to end a turbulent season somewhat well, the Amsterdam team must finish third. That place entitles you to participate in the preliminary round of the Champions League.

The current fourth place would earn a ticket for ‘only’ the Europa League. But it could always be worse: if Ajax drops to 5th place, the record champion will be sentenced to play the European play-offs for a Conference League ticket.

Due to a concert by pop star Harry Styles, those matches could not even be completed in their own Johan Cruijff Arena. For FC Utrecht, which is not yet completely sure of playing in the play-offs, there is also something at stake on Sunday.

NEC is Ajax’s main competitor in the battle for third place. The team of coach Dick Schreuder is currently third and has one point more than both Ajax and FC Twente. This means that the people of Nijmegen have everything in their own hands. However, the hangover from the lost cup final against AZ has not yet been completely overcome, as was also evident last weekend when the score was only 1-1 at home against Telstar.

Moreover, with FC Groningen, NEC will not face an opponent who is going well towards the end of the competition. The home team is currently tenth and still has to climb one place to participate in the play-offs for a European ticket.

FC Twente had third place up for grabs last weekend, but a lead was lost against AZ deep in injury time. This means that the Tukkers are still fifth, with the same number of points as number 4 Ajax. The difference in goal difference is only small, so a big win would be welcome for coach John van den Brom. To finish third, a misstep by NEC is required.

But Sparta will not come to Enschede to roll out the red carpet. The Rotterdam team is ninth and must maintain that position to reach the European play-off.

Perhaps slightly less appealing than the hunt for the preliminary round of the Champions League, but the tension is also high at the bottom. Heracles has been relegated and the curtain also seems to have fallen for NAC, but the number 16 can also descend. That club will play a diptych against the winner of the play-offs in the Kitchen Champion Division at the end of this month.

So Excelsior, Telstar and FC Volendam (numbers 14, 15 and 16) do everything they can to finish above the dreaded line. And let two of those rivals, Excelsior and FC Volendam, face each other on Sunday. The Kralingers have a margin of three points and therefore do good business in a draw, Volendam has to take risks.

“Enforcement of Telstar is better than a championship.” These are the words of national coach Ronald Koeman, whose son is behind the bar for this season’s stunt team. But Telstar is safe – which, like FC Volendam, has 31 points – absolutely not yet. A home match against the already gloriously relegated Heracles is the ideal opportunity to take a big step towards survival.

Of course, second place behind the untouchable champion PSV is very important, but we still give this match three stars. The outpouring after the hard-fought victory over Fortuna on Sunday said it all: Feyenoord can hardly miss the direct ticket for the Champions League.

Robin van Persie’s team can finally decide the battle on Sunday by winning at home against AZ, which as cup winner is already assured of European football. The lead over NEC is five points, with two matches to go. If it doesn’t work out next weekend, Feyenoord will have another chance a week later against PEC Zwolle.

Well, there will probably be a few optimists in Breda who think that NAC will hold its own, but it is not very realistic. Especially since a defeat was also suffered in court this week. The demand to have the match lost 6-0 against Go Ahead Eagles replayed was dismissed by the judge in summary proceedings against the KNVB.

And so NAC has to win the last two games to be able to finish sixteenth and hope that Telstar or Volendam loses twice. All this still has to be done with large numbers. So a hopeless story.

PSV has been proudly at the top all season, but in this list they are dangling at the bottom. The people of Eindhoven have won the title for a long time and are mainly playing for the honor.

The goal of becoming the champion with the largest lead ever over number 2 can provide extra motivation. The margin over Feyenoord is now seventeen points and that would equal the record. Opponent Go Ahead is definitively safe and has nothing left to gain or lose.

Fortuna Sittard and PEC Zwolle are twelfth and thirteenth and no longer have to fear anything. Although that is no reason to throw your hat at it, as Fortuna showed on Sunday in the narrowly lost match against Feyenoord. “You play at the highest level in the Netherlands,” emphasized coach Danny Buijs. “If you can’t recharge for that, you should do something else.”