Eredivisie Preview: Ajax bid for fourth-straight title

Ajax will hope to get the defence of their Eredivisie title off to a comfortable start when they take on Roda JC at home on Friday.

Frank de Boer’s men cruised to their 32nd Dutch top flight success last term, but have never before enjoyed four consecutive league title wins.

They might be confident of changing that, however, as they host opponents who only escaped relegation last term courtesy of a play-off win over Sparta Rotterdam.

PSV Eindhoven will hope to prevent Ajax from achieving that feat, as they look to improve on last season’s second-placed finish under the guidance of newly-appointed manager Phillip Cocu.

Their opening game will not be easy, though, as they travel to take on an ADO Den Haag team who narrowly missed out on a European play-off spot last term.

Meanwhile, Feyenoord and PEC Zwolle, who finished one league position below PSV and ADO respectively last term, will go head to head at IJsseldelta Stadion.

Roda’s escape from relegation in 2012-13 meant that only two teams have arrived from the Eerste Divisie during the close-season – Cambuur and Go Ahead Eagles.

Cambuur begin their campaign with a home meeting with NAC Breda, while Go Ahead Eagles – who are under new management following the departure of Erik ten Hag – face a tough-looking trip to take on Utrecht.

Vitesse have been the recipients of two of the Eredivisie’s biggest transfer fees during the current window, and will begin life without Marco van Ginkel and last term’s top scorer Wilfried Bony at home to Heracles.

Elsewhere, Groningen travel to NEC Nijmegen, while their rivals Heerenveen host AZ on Saturday.

And FC Twente will begin their push to improve on last year’s sixth-place finish when they take on RKC Waalwijk at home.