Eredivisie wrap: PSV survive Excelsior test

Eredivisie leaders PSV Eindhoven survived a late scare to defeat lowly Excelsior 3-2 on Saturday, while Twente kept up their pursuit.

PSV looked to have sealed up another three points as they entered injury time leading 2-1, only for Edwin de Graaf to draw the hosts level with a late penalty.

But there was another twist in the tale as the league leaders were awarded their own penalty before time expired, and Hungarian midfielder Balazs Dzsudzsak was on hand to slot the spot-kick past Excelsior goalkeeper Nico Pellatz.

Guyon Fernandez gave Excelsior a surprise lead in the 22nd minute with his seventh goal of the season, but their joy was tempered after the break as Jeremain Lens (50) and Atiba Hutchinson (52) scored in quick succession.

The hosts very nearly stole a point when De Graaf coolly converted past Andreas Isaksson as the game entered injury time, but PSV had time enough to restore their lead and maintain their three-point gap over Twente.

Twente, meanwhile, ran out 2-0 winners over visiting NAC Breda as Luuk de Jong and Nacer Chadli got themselves on the scoresheet in the second half.

De Jong put the Dutch champions ahead in the 61st minute, meeting Breda goalkeeper Jelle ten Rouwelaar’s punched clearance at distance with a terrific volley for his 10th strike of the season.

Belgian midfielder Chadli sealed the win in injury time, finishing off substitute Ola John’s good work down the right with a simple tap past the Breda number one.

Elsewhere, ADO Den Haag thumped 10-man NEC Nijmegen 5-1 to leap to fourth on the table provisionally.

Lex Immers, Dmitri Bulykin, Wesley Verhoek, Jens Toornstra and Jordy Brouwer all put goals past NEC, who lost Danish midfielder Niki Zimling three minutes from injury time with a straight red card.

Finally, Marco van Ginkel scored and Ferry de Regt added an own goal in injury time as Vitesse Arnhem defeated second-bottom VVV Venlo 2-0.