Eredivisie wrap: Ajax, PSV can´t be separated

Ajax Amsterdam and PSV Eindhoven played out a goalless draw in the Eredivisie on Saturday, while FC Twente lost at home.

Leaders PSV went into the match with a six-point lead over third-placed Ajax and while they missed a chance to extend the margin to nine, the visitors are likely to be the happier of the two sides after emerging from the Amsterdam Arena with their buffer intact.

Ajax, who came into the match on the back of two defeats in a row, showed more adventure than the visitors, but provided little in the way of the service to forwards Luis Suarez and Mounir El Hamdaoui.

Ola Toivonen squandered one of PSV’s only chances of note, with a tame header easily saved by Maarten Stekelenburg in the Ajax goal.

At the other end, his opposite number – PSV’s Sweden international Andreas Isaksson, kept out efforts by Demy de Zeeuw, Jan Vertonghen and a luckless Suarez.

Anita Vurnon cleared a Marcelo header off the line, while Stekelenburg saved again from Toivonen late on.

Ajax substitute Rasmus Lindgren lasted just 15 minutes after coming on before receiving a straight red card for aiming a kick at Ibrahim Affelay.

Twente, second in the table, missed a chance to close the gap on PSV when they went down 2-1 at home to AZ Alkmaar.

The defending champions were 1-0 up in the Arke Stadion courtesy of a 17th-minute strike from Luuk de Jong, but they went a man down when Brazilian defender Douglas Franco was given his marching orders on the half-hour mark.

Things went from bad to worse for Michel Preud’homme’s side, as Rasmus Elm levelled a minute later for AZ.

Paraguayan Celso Ortiz struck in the 63rd minute to complete the turnaround and AZ held the lead to record a win that moves them level on points with third-placed Ajax.

Excelsior gained three much-needed points with a 1-0 victory over fellow strugglers VVV Venlo.

Roland Bergkamp scored the only goal in the 75th minute at the Stad Rotterdam Verzekeringen, and VVV finished with 10 men after Patrick Paauwe received a second yellow card.

Goals at the start and the end of the game from Davy Propper and Dalibor Stevanovic helped Vitesse Arnhem run out 2-0 winners at home to Heracles, while a Rydell Poepon hat-trick secured a 3-1 victory for De Graafschap over visitors Roda.