Eran Zahavi (r) celebrates his winner against Utrecht. Photo: ANP/Pieter Stam de Jonge
Eran Zahavi’s close-range strike early in the second half against Utrecht was enough to keep PSV within two points of Ajax with eight matches to play in the Eredivisie.
Despite being weakened by injuries and coronavirus infections, Utrecht held Roger Schmidt’s side at bay for the first half, thanks to some heroics by Fabian de Keijzer in goal.
Mike van de Hoorn had a chance to put the home side ahead shortly after the break, but minutes later Zahavi popped up in the six-yard area to tap home a low cross by Cody Gakpo.
Ajax looked to have squandered two points on Friday evening after Cambuur Leeuwarden came back from 2-0 down at half-time to equalise, until Ryan Gravenberch fired in a long-range strike in the second minute of injury time.
Feyenoord overcame PEC Zwolle to stay third, but only after Bram van Polen had given the home side the lead just before half-time. A deflected shot by Luis Sinisterra and Cyriel Dessers’s strike on the turn turned the game around late in the second half to put PEC back at the foot of the table.
Sparta Rotterdam moved off the bottom with a 1-0 win at home against Go Ahead Eagles, but the match was overshadowed by a clash of heads after 30 minutes that left Sparta defender Tom Beugelsdijk out cold. Beugelsdijk was stretchered off the pitch and the club later said he had suffered concussion but was otherwise well.
Fortuna Sittard edged ahead of Willem II after winning their relegation six-pointer with a goal from Zian Flemming, in the first match since the Tilburgers dismissed coach Fred Grim and technical director Joris Mathijsen.
Groningen won a topsy-turvy encounter with NEC thanks to two late goals by Romano Postema. The home side were 3-2 down after just 32 minutes, in a match which saw 35-year-old Lasse Schöne score his first goal since returning to Nijmegen this season.
Vitesse Arnhem, whose Russian owner Valery Oyf announced this week he was selling his shares, drew 0-0 at Heracles, while the match between RKC and Heerenveen also finished goalless.
Results
Friday
Cambuur Leeuwarden 2-3 Ajax
Saturday
Groningen 4-3 NEC Nijmegen
RKC Waalwijk 0-0 Heerenveen
Sparta Rotterdam 1-0 Go Ahead Eagles
Sunday
AZ Alkmaar L-L Twente Enschede
Fortuna Sittard 1-0 Willem II Tilburg
Heracles Almelo 0-0 Vitesse Arnhem
PEC Zwolle 1-2 Feyenoord
Utrecht 0-1 PSV Eindhoven
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