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Irish Examiner
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
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.
The 42
18-05-2025
- Sport
- The 42
Spectacular Ajax collapse hands PSV Dutch title
PSV EINDHOVEN won their second successive Dutch title on Sunday, surging from a seemingly impossible position in the closing weeks of the season to pip arch-rivals Ajax. A 3-1 win at Sparta Rotterdam was enough to hand Peter Bosz and his men the Eredivisie title, which culminated in one of the most exciting climaxes in living memory. PSV had all but given up hope of the championship. With only five matches to play, four-time European champions Ajax were nine points clear and seemingly cruising to the title. In what was billed as a championship decider, Ajax beat PSV 2-0 in Eindhoven on 30 March and all seemed set fair for the Dutch giants to claim their 37th Eredivisie crown. But Ajax, hoping to bounce back from one of their worst ever seasons last year, collapsed in spectacular fashion, losing twice and drawing twice to hand PSV the initiative. The penultimate match was especially painful for Ajax. With fate still in their hands, one point ahead of PSV, they conceded an equaliser in the ninth minute of extra time against Groningen. This 2-2 draw allowed PSV, who had won six straight games since that loss to Ajax, to leapfrog their Amsterdam rivals, meaning three points on Sunday was enough for glory. PSV fans had been frustrated by the team's inconsistency for most of the season. An undoubted high point was beating Premier League champions Liverpool in a 3-2 Champions League thriller at the Philips Stadion. Advertisement But PSV's European journey ended in abject humiliation, as they were dismantled 7-1 at home by a rampant Arsenal. Domestically, they struggled to replicate last year's dominant form, when they lost only once. They were beaten by Ajax in both their league games but also suffered frustrating defeats to PEC Zwolle, Go Ahead Eagles, and Heerenveen. Nevertheless, they showed resilience when it mattered in the final weeks. A winner deep in injury time against Feyenoord, the other member of the Eredivisie 'big three', kept them in the hunt with two games remaining. For the second straight season, they have scored more than 100 goals, with Luuk de Jong, Noa Lang, and Ricardo Pepi all in double figures. But off the field, Lang has been a constant source of controversy, clashing with his own fans and the subject of multiple transfer rumours. - 'Already given up' - PSV's 26th Eredivisie title will be all the sweeter as it came from such an improbable position. 'After the home defeat against Ajax, we had already given up. We were nine points behind,' said De Jong. 'I have never experienced this before… There was a lot of joy because we didn't dare to dream of this anymore. It turns out that hunting is sometimes easier.' For Ajax and their fans, this painful capitulation is a lost opportunity to ease the agony of last season's disastrous campaign. The Amsterdam giants suffered their worst-ever start to a season last year, at one point propping up the Eredivisie table — immortalised by one jubilant PSV fan who tattooed the standings on his body. Being booted out of the Dutch Cup by rank amateurs Hercules was another nadir but a leadership shake-up saw England star Jordan Henderson brought in as captain and Italian Francesco Farioli as the new coach. Farioli had identified Champions League football as the target for this year, which he has achieved. But this season will surely be remembered at Ajax for the 'what if', not the second place and spot in Europe. 'That hurts. A lot,' the Ajax Supporters Association wrote on its website after the points dropped at Groningen. 'Before this season, many Ajax fans would have bitten your hand off for a second place in the Eredivisie… But with Ajax almost smelling the title, a drop to second place still hurts so much. 'So near, but so far.' – © AFP 2025
Kuwait Times
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Kuwait Times
Ajax woe as PSV crowned champions
THE HAGUE: PSV Eindhoven won their second successive Dutch title on Sunday, surging from a seemingly impossible position in the closing weeks of the season to pip arch-rivals Ajax. A 3-1 win at Sparta Rotterdam was enough to hand Peter Bosz and his men the Eredivisie title, which culminated in one of the most exciting climaxes in living memory. PSV had all but given up hope of the championship. With only five matches to play, four-time European champions Ajax were nine points clear and seemingly cruising to the title. In what was billed as a championship decider, Ajax beat PSV 2-0 in Eindhoven on March 30 and all seemed set fair for the Dutch giants to claim their 37th Eredivisie crown. But Ajax, hoping to bounce back from one of their worst ever seasons last year, collapsed in spectacular fashion, losing twice and drawing twice to hand PSV the initiative. The penultimate match was especially painful for Ajax. With fate still in their hands, one point ahead of PSV, they conceded an equalizer in the ninth minute of extra time against Groningen. This 2-2 draw allowed PSV, who had won six straight games since that loss to Ajax, to leapfrog their Amsterdam rivals, meaning three points on Sunday was enough for glory. PSV fans had been frustrated by the team's inconsistency for most of the season. An undoubted high point was beating Premier League champions Liverpool in a 3-2 Champions League thriller at the Philips Stadion. But PSV's European journey ended in abject humiliation, as they were dismantled 7-1 at home by a rampant Arsenal. Domestically, they struggled to replicate last year's dominant form, when they lost only once. They were beaten by Ajax in both their league games but also suffered frustrating defeats to PEC Zwolle, Go Ahead Eagles, and Heerenveen. Nevertheless, they showed resilience when it mattered in the final weeks. A winner deep in injury time against Feyenoord, the other member of the Eredivisie 'big three', kept them in the hunt with two games remaining. For the second straight season, they have scored more than 100 goals, with Luuk de Jong, Noa Lang, and Ricardo Pepi all in double figures. But off the field, Lang has been a constant source of controversy, clashing with his own fans and the subject of multiple transfer rumors. PSV's 26th Eredivisie title will be all the sweeter as it came from such an improbable position. 'After the home defeat against Ajax, we had already given up. We were nine points behind,' said De Jong. 'I have never experienced this before... There was a lot of joy because we didn't dare to dream of this anymore. It turns out that hunting is sometimes easier.' For Ajax and their fans, this painful capitulation is a lost opportunity to ease the agony of last season's disastrous campaign. The Amsterdam giants suffered their worst-ever start to a season last year, at one point propping up the Eredivisie table — immortalized by one jubilant PSV fan who tattooed the standings on his body. Being booted out of the Dutch Cup by rank amateurs Hercules was another nadir but a leadership shake-up saw England star Jordan Henderson brought in as captain and Italian Francesco Farioli as the new coach. Farioli had identified Champions League football as the target for this year, which he has achieved. But this season will surely be remembered at Ajax for the 'what if', not the second place and spot in Europe. 'That hurts. A lot,' the Ajax Supporters Association wrote on its website after the points dropped at Groningen. 'Before this season, many Ajax fans would have bitten your hand off for a second place in the Eredivisie... But with Ajax almost smelling the title, a drop to second place still hurts so much. 'So near, but so far.' – AFP
News18
18-05-2025
- Sport
- News18
Eredivisie: PSV Taste Glory To Pile On Ajax Collapse
Last Updated: A 3-1 win at Sparta Rotterdam was enough to hand Peter Bosz and his men the Eredivisie title after Ajax let a massive lead slip in the final stretch of the Dutch top flight. PSV Eindhoven won their second successive Dutch title on Sunday, surging from a seemingly impossible position in the closing weeks of the season to pip arch-rivals Ajax. A 3-1 win at Sparta Rotterdam was enough to hand Peter Bosz and his men the Eredivisie title, which culminated in one of the most exciting climaxes in living memory. PSV had all but given up hope of the championship. With only five matches to play, four-time European champions Ajax were nine points clear and seemingly cruising to the title. In what was billed as a championship decider, Ajax beat PSV 2-0 in Eindhoven on March 30 and all seemed set fair for the Dutch giants to claim their 37th Eredivisie crown. But Ajax, hoping to bounce back from one of their worst ever seasons last year, collapsed in spectacular fashion, losing twice and drawing twice to hand PSV the initiative. The penultimate match was especially painful for Ajax. With fate still in their hands, one point ahead of PSV, they conceded an equaliser in the ninth minute of extra time against Groningen. This 2-2 draw allowed PSV, who had won six straight games since that loss to Ajax, to leapfrog their Amsterdam rivals, meaning three points on Sunday was enough for glory. PSV fans had been frustrated by the team's inconsistency for most of the season. An undoubted high point was beating Premier League champions Liverpool in a 3-2 Champions League thriller at the Philips Stadion. But PSV's European journey ended in abject humiliation, as they were dismantled 7-1 at home by a rampant Arsenal. Domestically, they struggled to replicate last year's dominant form, when they lost only once. They were beaten by Ajax in both their league games but also suffered frustrating defeats to PEC Zwolle, Go Ahead Eagles, and Heerenveen. Nevertheless, they showed resilience when it mattered in the final weeks. A winner deep in injury time against Feyenoord, the other member of the Eredivisie 'big three", kept them in the hunt with two games remaining. For the second straight season, they have scored more than 100 goals, with Luuk de Jong, Noa Lang, and Ricardo Pepi all in double figures. But off the field, Lang has been a constant source of controversy, clashing with his own fans and the subject of multiple transfer rumours. PSV's 26th Eredivisie title will be all the sweeter as it came from such an improbable position. 'After the home defeat against Ajax, we had already given up. We were nine points behind," said De Jong. 'I have never experienced this before… There was a lot of joy because we didn't dare to dream of this anymore. It turns out that hunting is sometimes easier." For Ajax and their fans, this painful capitulation is a lost opportunity to ease the agony of last season's disastrous campaign. The Amsterdam giants suffered their worst-ever start to a season last year, at one point propping up the Eredivisie table — immortalised by one jubilant PSV fan who tattooed the standings on his body. Being booted out of the Dutch Cup by rank amateurs Hercules was another nadir but a leadership shake-up saw England star Jordan Henderson brought in as captain and Italian Francesco Farioli as the new coach. Farioli had identified Champions League football as the target for this year, which he has achieved. But this season will surely be remembered at Ajax for the 'what if", not the second place and spot in Europe. 'That hurts. A lot," the Ajax Supporters Association wrote on its website after the points dropped at Groningen. 'Before this season, many Ajax fans would have bitten your hand off for a second place in the Eredivisie… But with Ajax almost smelling the title, a drop to second place still hurts so much. 'So near, but so far." tags : Ajax Eredivisie PSV the netherlands Location : Netherlands First Published: May 18, 2025, 22:00 IST News sports » football Eredivisie: PSV Taste Glory To Pile On Ajax Collapse
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
🏆 PSV do the job and are crowned Eredivisie champions
🏆 PSV do the job and are crowned Eredivisie champions This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here. PSV Eindhoven secured their 23rd Eredivisie title after beating Sparta Rotterdam 1-3, securing the championship with their sixth consecutive win. Advertisement Despite being nine points behind Ajax on March 30, the Amsterdam team's stumbles allowed Eindhoven to take the lead. PSV, who relied on themselves, did not falter and were crowned champions. Ivan Perisic opened the scoring, but Givai Zechiel equalized for Sparta at the start of the second half. However, Luuk de Jong and Malik Tillman sealed the win. Second-placed Ajax and third-placed Feyenoord will compete in the next edition of the Champions League. 📸 ROBIN VAN LONKHUIJSEN
