Round 12: Ajax want to continue good series in Alkmaar

Friday 21 November 2008

With the 4-1 win over PSV last week Ajax remained joint leaders in the Eredivisie.

When they take on AZ in Alkmaar on Sunday they would like to maintain their position.

But Ajax will start the game knowing they have only won two of their five away games but also that they have established a nice series: they won the last six league games.

Yet AZ are very strong in front of their home crowd this season.

The team of Louis van Gaal lost their first game in the DSB Stadium but have since had no problems at all with the visiting teams.

A victory would see AZ pass Ajax in the ranking.

NAC will also benefit from point loss of the Amsterdammers.

The best team of 2008 have an equal amount of points but a worse goal difference than Ajax.

The team from Breda will host NEC who lost without chance at Roda last week.

How close things are at the moment in the Eredivisie shows from the fact that FC Groningen can also overtake Ajax on Sunday.

The current number 3 in the Eredivisie have two points less than the team of Marco van Basten as they visit Willem II Tilburg.

Steve McClaren's FC Twente will be looking for a win at home against Heerenveen as they were without a victory in their last three matches (1 point).

More point loss will see them drop out of title race for now and actually see them threatened by Feyenoord, a team that was in the relegation zone just two weeks ago.

When the Rotterdammers beat ADO Den Haag at home on Sunday and Twente were to lose again the team of Gertjan Verbeek will come within three points of Twente and well establish themselves in the safety zone.

Below all this it will be interesting to see how much of an impact new coach Harm van Veldhoven has had on Roda when they travel to red light barer Volendam on Friday.