These scenarios are possible in the fight for third place
1 min readNext Sunday, the last round of the Eredivisie is already on the agenda, and a number of decisions have already been made. PSV has long been champions, and Feyenoord has secured their place in next season’s Champions League main tournament with a draw against AZ.
In addition, Heracles Almelo and NAC Breda have already been relegated. The fight for direct survival will be decided on Sunday since number 16 FC Volendam hosts number 15 Telstar.
Also the battle for third place and thus the Champions League qualifiers is still completely wide open. FC Twente currently has the best prospects, since John van den Brom's team on Sunday afternoon defeated Sparta Rotterdam 4-0 and thereby took over third place from NEC.
The Nijmegen side, in fact, lost 2-1 to FC Groningen and thereby had to give up third place to the Twente team. FC Twente is now two points ahead of the team in fourth place and plays away on Sunday for the final match of the season against league champions PSV, while NEC plays at home against Go Ahead Eagles.
Ajax still has a chance to qualify for the Champions League preliminary round despite being three points behind FC Twente. On Sunday afternoon, the Amsterdammers lost at home in the 96th minute to their rivals FC Utrecht (1-2) and thereby dropped to fifth place in the standings.
To still have a chance for third place, Ajax must win their final league match away at sc Heerenveen, and Oscar Garcia’s team is dependent on the results of PSV - FC Twente and NEC - Go Ahead Eagles. If FC Twente lose and NEC draw or lose, Ajax will be guaranteed a spot in the Champions League qualification round with a win due to their goal difference compared to FC Twente.
With a draw by the Tukkers, Ajax no longer has a chance to qualify for the preliminary round of the Champions League. John van den Brom's team must, with a draw against PSV, hope for help from Go Ahead Eagles.
With a win or a draw for Go Ahead Eagles against NEC, FC Twente is guaranteed of qualification for the Champions League qualifying round in the event of a draw. If FC Twente wins at the Philips Stadion, the Tukkers do not need to look at the results in the other fields, and the team from Enschede will enter the Champions League qualifying round.
Comments3
Neutral take, but the balance sounds right. If Veerman and the wingers keep finding that half-space, PSV can control games without always needing a miracle from the counter.
I'm not fully sold on the setup. When the article talks about winning the ball early, I just hope they do not leave huge spaces behind the fullbacks. Last season that punished us a few times.
If PSV really wants to press high like that, I love it. Cody Gakpo and those quick one-touch links could tear teams open, especially if the midfield stays brave on the ball.