European football round-up: PSV retain Dutch league title, Napoli on the brink in Italy
PSV Eindhoven's Luuk de Jong and Malik Tillman scored second-half goals to help retain the Dutch league title in a nervous 3-1 victory at Sparta Rotterdam as their side held off Ajax Amsterdam's challenge in Sunday's final round of matches.
PSV lifted the title they won last season to take their overall tally to 26, 10 behind Ajax, as they finished the season with 79 points from 34 games, one ahead of their great rivals from Amsterdam.
Ivan Perisic put PSV ahead after 27 minutes but when Gjivai Zechiel equalised for Sparta, Ajax, who at one stage had a nine-point lead in the title race, took over at the top of the table as they went on to win 2-0 at home to FC Twente.
But De Jong restored PSV's lead after 58 minutes and when Tillman rifled in a third from the edge of the box with six minutes remaining, the visitors were able to celebrate their seventh win in a row and claiming the league championship.
At 61 years and 178 days, PSV coach Peter Bosz is the oldest manager to win the Dutch league.
"It was a bit exciting, wasn't it?", De Jong told reporters.
"In the first half there was nothing wrong, then it becomes 1-1 and you think: 'It won't be one of those days, will it?' We were playing well, but you still have to score that goal. At 3-1 you know the job is done."
Feyenoord finished in the third and final Champions League place despite a 2-0 loss at Heerenveen, though they will have to go through the qualifiers.
Meanwhile it remains advantage Napoli in the Serie A title race heading into the final round of fixtures next weekend as their 0-0 draw away to Parma on Sunday, coupled with Inter Milan's 2-2 draw with Lazio at the San Siro, leaves Antonio Conte's men needing just a win at home to 14th placed Cagliari next Sunday to reclaim the Scudetto.
Elsewhere Galatasaray secured a 25th Turkish title with two games to spare following a 3-0 victory at Kayserispor on Sunday.
The victory handed Galatasaray an unassailable eight-point lead over arch Istanbul rivals Fenerbahce - managed by Jose Mourinho - who have not won the league in more than a decade.
Galatasaray will now be able to add a fifth star to their team shirts - one star is allotted for every five titles.
Finally Villarreal fought back to shock Barcelona 3-2 on Sunday, handing the LaLiga champions their first league defeat since late December.
Having already secured the title after Thursday's 2-0 win at city rivals Espanyol gave them an unassailable lead over the competition with two games left to play, Sunday's match at Barcelona's Olympic Stadium was supposed to be a chance to celebrate and present the LaLiga trophy to their fans but Villarreal spoiled the party.
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