Due to the draw of Ajax, PSV can reduce the gap in the ranking this afternoon from 4 to 2 points. For that, the people of Eindhoven have to be able to win against Feyenoord in De Kuip – an assignment that has often proved too difficult in recent years. With two rounds to go, it would bring back the tension at the top of the Premier League.
Before the break, there didn’t seem to be much going on for Ajax in Alkmaar. The team of coach Erik ten Hag was dominant and took the lead a few minutes before the halftime signal. From his own half, midfielder Kenneth Taylor sent a deep pass to his teammate Brian Brobbey, who first skilfully cleared his direct opponent with a light shoulder push, then outwitted AZ goalkeeper Peter Vindahl with a watched lob, to finally see the ball in the empty goal. bounce. At the start of the second half Brobbey even had a great chance at 0-2, but this time he ran into Vindahl.
It was therefore surprising that AZ returned to the game after more than an hour of play. Until then, AZ hadn’t been able to create more than a few messy situations for Ajax’s goal. But left back Owen Wijndal broke through on his side of the field in the 62nd minute. His pass reached striker Vangelis Pavlidis with a nice curl, who headed in the far corner.
After that equalizer, AZ came into the game better. Fifteen minutes before the end Hakon Evjen pushed Ajax even further into the corner. After another attack from the left, he shot AZ, on a pass from Jesper Karlsson, with a volley ahead.
Ajax then had to give chase, not for the first time this season. And not for the first time this season, the team from Amsterdam cleared a deficit: a few minutes before the end, Edson Álvarez headed in the 2-2 from a corner.
Because Ajax’s goal difference is considerably better than that of PSV, Ajax needs a win and a draw in the last two matches to be sure of the 36th national title in club history. The decision will be made next week. On Wednesday Ajax will receive Heerenveen in its own Johan Cruijff Arena, the following Sunday will be followed by a last away match against Vitesse. PSV will meet NEC (home) and PEC Zwolle (away) after Feyenoord.