AZ 2 PSV 4: De Jong hat-trick settles thriller

A topsy-turvy Eredivisie thriller between AZ and PSV finished 4-2 in the leaders’ favour thanks to Luuk de Jong’s hat-trick.

Luuk de Jong was the hero as his hat-trick helped Eredivisie leaders PSV fend off a brave fight from AZ in a 4-2 victory on Friday.

Netherlands international De Jong scored twice inside eight minutes to put PSV in control at the AFAS Stadion, only for goals either side of half-time from Markus Henriksen and Robert Muhren to pull the fourth-placed hosts level.

However, a quickfire double from Georginio Wijnaldum and De Jong earned the points for Phillip Cocu’s side – who celebrated a 10th straight league victory. 

PSV came flying out the blocks and took the lead in the third minute when De Jong did well to place his follow-up shot into the bottom right-hand corner after Esteban Alvarado made a smart stop from Wijnaldum’s initial effort.

De Jong was on the scoresheet again five minutes later with a looping header from a Jetro Willems corner, before Memphis Depay thought he had slotted home a third – only to be denied by the offside flag.

Depay almost scored at the wrong end when his defensive header cannoned back off the crossbar, but AZ did have a goal back half-time thanks to a composed finish from Henriksen.

AZ deservedly levelled through Muhren’s emphatic near-post finish four minutes after the break, but Wijnaldum put PSV back ahead with a classy side-footed volley – the goal standing despite protests from the hosts of a foul in the build-up.

De Jong completed the win on the hour with a clinical finish from Luciano Narsingh’s cross from the right, as PSV moved 15 points clear of second-placed Ajax, who entertain Twente on Sunday.