Back to the glorious edition | A hat-trick by a born goalscorer in Amsterdam, who was bulldozed to the ground beforehand

Since the opening of the Johan Cruijff Arena in the summer of 1996, PSV has won more often an away match at Ajax. In total, since 1996/1997 PSV has won twelve times in Amsterdam and the capital city teams kept the points at home eleven times.

Only six times since 1996 has the match ended in a draw. The last time this happened was on 3 February 2024, when it finished 1-1 thanks to goals by Steven Berghuis and Luuk de Jong. In the 1999/2000 season as well, PSV won convincingly in the Arena. With the help of former top scorer Ruud van Nistelrooy, Eric Gerets' side won 1-3 in Amsterdam.

On 15 December 1999, PSV played the top match away to Ajax. By halftime, PSV was already leading 0-2 in Amsterdam thanks to two goals by Ruud van Nistelrooij, and the second was undoubtedly one of the finest goals of his career.

Shortly after halftime it was once again Van Nistelrooij who, on behalf of PSV, managed to find the net. In the 49th minute the born Geffen native, from a pass by Arnold Bruggink, headed in the 0-3 and the match was actually already decided. For Ajax it was Ricard Knopper who, in the 57th minute, still managed the first by putting the 1-3 in. Nevertheless, PSV never came under threat and won for the third time in four seasons on a visit to Ajax.

For the star, Van Nistelrooij was strongly criticized by the Dutch media because the Geffenaar had, at the time, found himself in a less successful period, in which he managed fewer goals than the season before. That evening in the Amsterdam Arena, Van Nistelrooij shut everyone up.