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Each of them with a game in hand, the leading duo stand together on 36 points, three ahead of Ajax and Groningen who are both at home this weekend.
Better than their rivals on goal difference, PSV Eindhoven will be going into Saturday’s crash test with a new coach – their third this season, after Ronald Koeman and Jan Wouters, who’s stepped back to the assistant’s role.
Vergoossen takes charge
Sef Vergoossen, who comes back to the Netherlands after six-and-a-half years working abroad, will be at the helm for the first time and he may count on a nearly full squad to choose from, as only Tommie van der Leegte and John de Jong remain sidelined with injuries.
Carlos Salcido returned from Mexico on Thursday and resumed training, alongside Edison Méndez. The Ecuadorian international has asked the administration to return to his homeland to be close to his sick mother, but an agreement with Barcelona Guayaquil has not been reached yet.
Of course Kenneth Pérez will not be there anymore, having returned to Ajax, but Balázs Dzsudzsák’s move from Debreceni has been brought forward, the Hungarian international joining the three-time defending Eredivisie champions now rather than in July.
The Rood-Witten waved goodbye to 2007 with two wins in three games and have a good recent record against Feyenoord, thrashing them 4-0 on September 23. The two of them have won more matches than any other team during this campaign (11 each), but the hosts may also boast of the tournament’s best defense: they have only allowed 13 goals and just one in their previous five games.
Bert van Marwijk cannot count on the suspended Theo Lucius and the injured Ron Vlaar, Tim Vincken. Andwélé Slory is also a doubt, but Kevin Hofland is set to return. Feyenoord have loaned out Karim Saïdi to Sivasspor and Belgian Pieter Collen has returned to his homeland after eight-and-a-half years in the Netherlands to join Sint-Truidense.
Van Marwijk’s side have won all of their home games this season except the one against Ajax, who snatched a 2-2 draw. The Amsterdam giants, also with a game in hand, will resume their campaign on Sunday entertaining ninth-placed AZ. Louis van Gaal’s side are merely fighting for a UEFA Cup play-off place and not just because they’ve played two games less.
Huntelaar’s ban lifted
Adrie Koster was delighted to hear that Klaas-Jan Huntelaar’s suspension has been reversed and he may count on the services of the league’s (and his team’s) leading scorer. There was more good news, as Kenneth Pérez has re-joined the Johan Cruyff Schaal and Beker holders, while the likes of Edgar Davids, Leonardo, Gregory van der Wiel and Thomas Vermaelen are close to match fitness.
However, George Ogăraru is banned and Laurent Delorge, Edgar Manucharyan, Vurnon Anita all remain sidelined. The Godenzonen may have only lost twice in this season’s Eredivisie and scored more than any other side (46 goals), but finished the calendar year with a single win in five games.
Van Gaal out for revenge
AZ will be confronting Ajax for the seventh time in just 13 months and they obviously have a lot to make up for: the capital side edged them out of the race for UEFA Champions League football in last season’s play-offs, beat them to the domestic Cup on a penalty shoot-out and also came out 3-2 winners on September 23 in Alkmaar!
Their task won’t be easy though. Van Gaal, a living Ajax legend, will be forced to field an under-strength side once more, since Kew Jaliens and Julian Jenner are both suspended and five more players (Maarten Martens, Stijn Schaars, Sébastien Pocognoli, Gijs Luirink and Joey Didulica) remain out injured.
Dane Simon Poulsen, a signing from Midtjylland, will be AZ’s only new face, as Mexican Héctor Moreno is still waiting for his work permit. Meanwhile, at least four more teams will be pushing for their place in the top-five, which assures of a crack at next season’s Champions League via the play-offs.
European football anyone?
Groningen will be looking for their seventh victory in eight games on Saturday, when they host rock-bottom Excelsior Rotterdam, who have lost 12 of their 18 league games so far and conceded no few than 48 goals in the process. Sixth-placed Roda, just four points off the pace, are seemingly in for a quiet evening themselves, as they entertain next-to-bottom Willem II.
Level on 32 points with the Kerkrade outfit, Twente travel to struggling (and depleted) Nijmegen on Friday evening in search of revenge, since the 2-1 home reverse on September 27 saw them surprisingly exit the Beker. Without want-away Afonso Alves, who’s been asked by the board to remain in Brazil, Heerenveen travel to Utrecht.
Elsewhere, Vitesse visit De Graafschap and Breda take on Venlo, while Heracles, who have the tournament’s worst offensive record, host Sparta Rotterdam in a possible relegation six-pointer.
A minute’s silence will be observed in every Eredivisie encounter this week to the memory of Karel Jansen senior, a former member of the KNVB and the association of professional footballers (VVCS) who passed away a few days ago.




source:goal.com