Eredivisie 23/24 - discussion thread

[Jossque]

Feyenoord managed to beat Groningen 3-1 at home and took their points tally to 58. As Feyenoord are in a two-horse race for second place with Nijmegen, they cannot afford to drop too many points. Despite not having had a great season, they will at least want to finish second in the league and qualify for the Champions League. Groningen, meanwhile, had not lost in recent weeks and had climbed as high as ninth place thanks to the points they had earned. They are also in the race for the Conference League. This defeat will set them back in that race. Suffering a points loss with just three weeks remaining is bad news for them.

[Distraction]

What a boring season is about to be left behind...

PSV declared their championship very early. The point difference with Feyenoord is 19 points which is insanely big! You know this is all because of Ajax, right?

Since they started losing power the Eredivisie has never been the same. I really love their rivalry with PSV but it's long gone.    I'm wondering when they will manage to bring back their old days.

[pawel7777]

What a boring season is about to be left behind...

PSV declared their championship very early. The point difference with Feyenoord is 19 points which is insanely big! You know this is all because of Ajax, right?

Since they started losing power the Eredivisie has never been the same. I really love their rivalry with PSV but it's long gone.    I'm wondering when they will manage to bring back their old days.

Yeah, you might have a point here.
PSV is starting to look like a hegemon here. We might end up with Eredivisie being like French Ligue 1 or German Bundesliga, where there are giants like PSG and Bayern who would win the vast majority of seasons and the rest of the clubs just settle for fighting for remaining Champions League/European League Cup places.

I'm hoping it will not come to that and that both Ajax and Feyenoord will do their part and aim to build teams capable of fighting for the championship.
As for this weekend's results, all of the big 3 clubs won their games and we have a few minutes left in the Twente Vs. NEC game, which currently stands at 1-1.

[Waleron Wycliffe]

Ajax won away at NAC Breda and moved up to fourth place. The fact that Twente and NEC Nijmegen drew in their match this week clearly worked in Ajax’s favour. The final few weeks look set to be intense and exciting. I’m eagerly awaiting to see who will finish in the top four, as the points are very close. If Ajax beat PSV, their chances of finishing third will increase. It’s likely that Nijmegen will drop points in their match against Telstar or Groningen.

[nelson4lov]

What a boring season is about to be left behind...

PSV declared their championship very early. The point difference with Feyenoord is 19 points which is insanely big! You know this is all because of Ajax, right?

Since they started losing power the Eredivisie has never been the same. I really love their rivalry with PSV but it's long gone.    I'm wondering when they will manage to bring back their old days.

After Ajax lost their place in their league title rivalry with PSV, I just knew game was gone. That's why when I saw Feyenoord pretending to be something they were not on top of the table earlier on in the season, I just knew it would only be a matter of time before they're exposed for fraud and dethroned and that didn't take time. Everyone know that Ajax is shit but as least last season they have PSV a run for their money towards the end of the season. PSV had to enter beast mode and win their remaining games to win the title.

How are they letting PSV win the title with 19 points and counting!

[execijutiere]

In both matches played today, the underdogs came out on top. It’s fair to say that both teams secured crucial victories in their bid to stay in the league.
Excelsior scored a full five goals against a strong opponent like Utrecht and, with this victory, took their points tally to 31. Excelsior put in a really good performance and I’d say they deserved this win.
Heracles, however, have now become the team bidding farewell to the league. Having lost at home to Volendam, Heracles’ chances of staying in the league are now completely gone. Volendam, meanwhile, have taken three points to raise their tally to 31, and the battle in the relegation zone looks set to heat up considerably.

[W Jr.]

Ajax won away at NAC Breda and moved up to fourth place. The fact that Twente and NEC Nijmegen drew in their match this week clearly worked in Ajax’s favour. The final few weeks look set to be intense and exciting. I’m eagerly awaiting to see who will finish in the top four, as the points are very close. If Ajax beat PSV, their chances of finishing third will increase. It’s likely that Nijmegen will drop points in their match against Telstar or Groningen.

NEC's remaining matches aren't too difficult. Therefore, if they can maintain their current advantage, they can secure a Champions League spot. However, Ajax are dangerously close behind, potentially overtaking them at any moment to claim third place. Twente is another contender. The race for the final Champions League spot between these three teams will be exciting until the end of the season.

[Oluwa-btc]

What a boring season is about to be left behind...

PSV declared their championship very early. The point difference with Feyenoord is 19 points which is insanely big! You know this is all because of Ajax, right?

Since they started losing power the Eredivisie has never been the same. I really love their rivalry with PSV but it's long gone.    I'm wondering when they will manage to bring back their old days.

I considered it boring when it was about these two mentioned above but it is the opposite for you, lol. Supporting Robin Van Persie, I'm glad I'd be seeing him in the Champions League competition next season. A good one he's done for them not just but also Raheem Sterling. I have been keep close tabs on him and his performance since joining, but it seems he's just had only ome good game since joining them. He needs more game time and he will be back to himself properly next season. As for Ajax, expect them better next season.

[MinMan]

PSV supremacy almost ends the title race, with Feyenoord, Nijmegen, Ajax, and Twente fighting hard for 2nd and 3rd spots. Things are still not easy to predict about the winner, with Ajax trying his best to secure a Champions League spot. The coming derby against PSV at home is going to be challenging.

In round 32, Feyenoord and Nijmegen both are having easy games this will bring them the advantage of staying at their spots, but an Ajax win can make this fight interesting. This season was quite boring due to PSV dominance, but next season is going to be better because Ajax and rivals are going to have improvement. This will bring good soccer to watch with a challenging fight for the title.

[Lida93]

What a boring season is about to be left behind...

PSV declared their championship very early. The point difference with Feyenoord is 19 points which is insanely big! You know this is all because of Ajax, right?

Since they started losing power the Eredivisie has never been the same. I really love their rivalry with PSV but it's long gone.    I'm wondering when they will manage to bring back their old days.

Ajax inconsistency is what is making the Eredivisie title race look weak, theres no challenge for the title as they usually used to do, sometimes they comeback strong and contend for the championship and after that they would sell off all the good players in the club and weaken the team, that has being their tradition. About seven year ago or thereabout, they had a very good team with young talents like, Frankie De jong, Ziyech, Onana, De light, etc, but all of these guys were sold out to other clubs around Europe and everyone since the club have continued to struggle.

[wozzek23]

Ajax won away at NAC Breda and moved up to fourth place. The fact that Twente and NEC Nijmegen drew in their match this week clearly worked in Ajax’s favour. The final few weeks look set to be intense and exciting. I’m eagerly awaiting to see who will finish in the top four, as the points are very close. If Ajax beat PSV, their chances of finishing third will increase. It’s likely that Nijmegen will drop points in their match against Telstar or Groningen.

NEC's remaining matches aren't too difficult. Therefore, if they can maintain their current advantage, they can secure a Champions League spot. However, Ajax are dangerously close behind, potentially overtaking them at any moment to claim third place. Twente is another contender. The race for the final Champions League spot between these three teams will be exciting until the end of the season.

From the current situation, it looks like top teams will be able to keep their spots, but still any poor result can hurt their chances. Ajax is doing well, but now it's late, while Nijmegen is inconsistent due to few draws. They need to give their best current difference is one point.

Feyenoord is also doing good their game against Sittard can give them a good advantage. This could be an interesting phase of the season for three teams with two Champions League spots all three have a fair chance. Twente is visiting AZ Alkmaar this is also going to be an interesting game. In case of a win for Twente, this contest could be more interesting.

[pawel7777]

Ajax won away at NAC Breda and moved up to fourth place. The fact that Twente and NEC Nijmegen drew in their match this week clearly worked in Ajax’s favour. The final few weeks look set to be intense and exciting. I’m eagerly awaiting to see who will finish in the top four, as the points are very close. If Ajax beat PSV, their chances of finishing third will increase. It’s likely that Nijmegen will drop points in their match against Telstar or Groningen.

Yup. Ajax moved past Twente but only by a better goal difference as both have the same number of points.
The next weekend's round can be really interesting. Ajax will play against PSV at home and I don't think PSV will make it easy for them, despite having nothing at stake, as they've already secured the championship. Twente will also have a tough challenge, as they're playing away against AZ, who are directly below them in the table.
NEC will play an easy (on paper) game against weak Telstar, so it will be a great opportunity to maybe increase the gap between them and Ajax/Twente, or maybe even to attack the 2np place should Feyenoord lose to Fortuna Sittard.

[$weetne$$]

Ajax won away at NAC Breda and moved up to fourth place. The fact that Twente and NEC Nijmegen drew in their match this week clearly worked in Ajax’s favour. The final few weeks look set to be intense and exciting. I’m eagerly awaiting to see who will finish in the top four, as the points are very close. If Ajax beat PSV, their chances of finishing third will increase. It’s likely that Nijmegen will drop points in their match against Telstar or Groningen.

I really enjoy this race we are seeing around the top four teams, as the teams seem to be swapping positions in this last weeks, it is making the league even more interesting. I think Gorningen may be the teams to cost Nijimegen some points because they are a bit average and not doing so bad but Ajax does have a really good potential to finish top four but may not get to win PSV to get there.

[odunybiz]

Ajax won away at NAC Breda and moved up to fourth place. The fact that Twente and NEC Nijmegen drew in their match this week clearly worked in Ajax’s favour. The final few weeks look set to be intense and exciting. I’m eagerly awaiting to see who will finish in the top four, as the points are very close. If Ajax beat PSV, their chances of finishing third will increase. It’s likely that Nijmegen will drop points in their match against Telstar or Groningen.

NEC's remaining matches aren't too difficult. Therefore, if they can maintain their current advantage, they can secure a Champions League spot. However, Ajax are dangerously close behind, potentially overtaking them at any moment to claim third place. Twente is another contender. The race for the final Champions League spot between these three teams will be exciting until the end of the season.

Ajax should have be my favorite here but is 3 matches left look somehow difficult especially that one to been played on Saturday against PSV. Although PSv don't need the match anymore but I believe they will still play well to win

[Wake Up]

Ajax won away at NAC Breda and moved up to fourth place. The fact that Twente and NEC Nijmegen drew in their match this week clearly worked in Ajax’s favour. The final few weeks look set to be intense and exciting. I’m eagerly awaiting to see who will finish in the top four, as the points are very close. If Ajax beat PSV, their chances of finishing third will increase. It’s likely that Nijmegen will drop points in their match against Telstar or Groningen.

I really enjoy this race we are seeing around the top four teams, as the teams seem to be swapping positions in this last weeks, it is making the league even more interesting. I think Gorningen may be the teams to cost Nijimegen some points because they are a bit average and not doing so bad but Ajax does have a really good potential to finish top four but may not get to win PSV to get there.

I don't expect them to drop points against Telstar. However, the Groningen match might not be easy. These could be tough matches for NEC. If they can get through the Champions League qualifiers next year, they might even be in the Champions League. It's been a fantastic season for NEC. Even if they don't make it to the Champions League, they could still qualify for the Europa League.

[Ahli38]

Tonight Ajax will face off against PSV. The match will be held at Ajax’s home stadium. The rivalry between these two teams is intense given that their last meeting ended in a draw during the sixth round of the Eredivisie. Ajax appears to be a formidable opponent for PSV, where in their previous encounter PSV was unable to defeat Ajax even though they were playing at the Philips Stadion. And now Ajax will have the home-field advantage in tonight’s upcoming match. I don’t think PSV will play too aggressively in this match. And PSV will also face the pressure of playing as the away team. As for Ajax they will fight with all their might to win this match and even secure the full three points. And I think they’ll aim to secure third place for Champions League qualification or even fight for second place in the standings to earn a direct ticket to the Champions League phase. So I personally predict that Ajax will win tonight’s match. What are your thoughts?

[pawel7777]

Tonight Ajax will face off against PSV. (...) I don’t think PSV will play too aggressively in this match. (...)

That was my first thought as well. PSV already secured their championship so they have nothing at stake here, at least that' what it seems.
BUT, on a second thought, PSV actually have something at stake - a higher chance of winning future championships. What I mean by this:
- Ajax is currently PSV's biggest rival
- Defeating Ajax tonight can ruin Ajax's chance of participating in the Champions League (or even Europa League) next season
- Not participating in the top European cups means lower income and a smaller budget to attract and retain talented players, meaning weaker squad in the future season
- Weaker Ajax = easier for PSV to win the league next season

In other words, if PSV is looking longer term, they have a chance of crippling Ajax financially for the next few seasons, making it easier for themselves to win as well as compete for attracting talented players.

[Varnquister]

One of the day’s key matches is undoubtedly the one between Ajax and PSV. Ajax can’t afford to drop any points as we enter the final two weeks of the season. They absolutely must secure three points against PSV, who have already clinched the league title. Ajax faces a tough match, but they can’t afford to make any mistakes here. Twente is right on their heels and waiting for them to slip up. Since the point margins among the top five teams are very close, even a single point will be crucial as we enter the final two weeks. I think we’ll see plenty of goals in this match.

[Crytohillss]

Tonight Ajax will face off against PSV. The match will be held at Ajax’s home stadium. The rivalry between these two teams is intense given that their last meeting ended in a draw during the sixth round of the Eredivisie. Ajax appears to be a formidable opponent for PSV, where in their previous encounter PSV was unable to defeat Ajax even though they were playing at the Philips Stadion. And now Ajax will have the home-field advantage in tonight’s upcoming match. I don’t think PSV will play too aggressively in this match. And PSV will also face the pressure of playing as the away team. As for Ajax they will fight with all their might to win this match and even secure the full three points. And I think they’ll aim to secure third place for Champions League qualification or even fight for second place in the standings to earn a direct ticket to the Champions League phase. So I personally predict that Ajax will win tonight’s match. What are your thoughts?

Home advantage definitely helps Ajax especially with how good they tend to look in Amsterdam and PSV struggling away from home can't be denied but I wouldn't count PSV out of performing aggressively either in big matches like this they usually step up and go higher than expected even when they are under pressure, yes this like one of those tough Eredivisie clashes where momentum swings decided everything.

[nikola22]

That was my first thought as well. PSV already secured their championship so they have nothing at stake here, at least that' what it seems.
BUT, on a second thought, PSV actually have something at stake - a higher chance of winning future championships. What I mean by this:
- Ajax is currently PSV's biggest rival
- Defeating Ajax tonight can ruin Ajax's chance of participating in the Champions League (or even Europa League) next season
- Not participating in the top European cups means lower income and a smaller budget to attract and retain talented players, meaning weaker squad in the future season
- Weaker Ajax = easier for PSV to win the league next season

In other words, if PSV is looking longer term, they have a chance of crippling Ajax financially for the next few seasons, making it easier for themselves to win as well as compete for attracting talented players.

this logic looks good but there is a catch. Ajax's participation in European competitions could be beneficial for PSV in the next season because they will have to play more energy-consuming matches.

everyone knows that participation in European competitions takes a lot of energy, especially for teams with relatively short benches. that's why Ajax's potential participation in the Champions League or Europa League would help PSV next season. and now PSV will be able simply enjoy football without lookong at the result.