The Eredivisie continued with fine ferocity this weekend, as the second matchweek served up some fantastic clashes. On Saturday, we saw two derbies and NEC continue their rampant start, while Sunday notably showed Ajax falter and Volendam impress yet again.
Before all this, though, Telstar hosted PEC Zwolle on Friday night, with their freshly-laid pitch welcoming their first Eredivisie home game in 47 years.
Telstar continue to adapt to top-flight football with defeat against PEC Zwolle
Any signs of looking dispel the opening weekโs 2-0 loss to Ajax quickly faded for Telstar, as they christened their freshly-laid turf with a bleak start against PEC Zwolle.
The visitors took the lead just four minutes in, as a Tom de Graaff punt forward was misread by centre-back Devon Koswal. A charging Kaj de Rooij robbed the attempted pass-back and drove into the area before squaring simply for Koen Kostons to tap home.
That same combination proved decisive for 2-0. De Rooij skipped down the left flank with a similar playground-like tenacity before surging down the left byline and powering a low ball to the feet of Kostons. The striker barely had to move to bag the simplest of braces with just his third shot of the encounter.
Aside from PECโs introduction of the record youngest Eredivisie debutant in Jadiel Pereira da Gama (15 years and 243 days), this clash ended routinely with Zwolle taking the points. Telstar will look to get off the mark against fellow-promoted side Volendam this Saturday.
Saturday: A day of derbies and NEC keeping their solid start alive
Saturday eveningโs action kicked off with the first of two derbies, as Feyenoord beat Excelsior 2-1 away at Stadion Woudestein. Things started poorly for the favourites, as Adam Carlen strongly dispossessed Quinten Timber. The Swede then slotted in Derensili Sanches Fernandes on the right, and he powered through the hands of Timon Wellenreuther to beat him at his near post nine minutes in.
Timber redeemed himself for the leveller 13 minutes later. He received the ball from Jordan Bos on the left, strode into the box and hit a venomous low effort that Calvin Raatsie could only parry. Ayase Ueda was in the right place and headed in for 1-1.
The visitors then completed their turnaround 10 minutes before the interval. Leo Sauer ran down the left and crossed nicely for Sem Steijn in the box. The new captain chested it down and struck a swivelling left-footed shot coolly into the bottom-right corner. While Raatsie kept the score to a respectable 2-1, the hosts hit both posts consecutively in the second period with Arthur Zagrรฉ and Kyan de Regt. However, Feyenoord prevailed to keep their positive start going.
While Jizz Hornkamp couldโve snatched the lead a mere 15 seconds into Heracles Almelo v NEC, he would ultimately succeed two minutes later. After Sem Scheperman took the ball on down the left side following a super home press and crossed for Hornkamp, he poked the ball past an onrushing Gonzalo Crettaz. 4
Minutes later, the roles reversed. Crettaz went from zero to hero, as he saved a long-range fizzer from Bryan Limbombe. Then, Hornkamp went from hero to villain and saw his stamping tackle on Sami Ouaissaโs ankle go from an initial yellow card to red on 13โฒ. After this, NEC had a Bryan Linssen goal disallowed for offside, but eventually restored parity in the 39th minute as that same man volleyed in a Philippe Sandler ball from the right.
Either side of the break, NEC admittedly looked the stronger side against 10-man Heracles. That said, itโd take just under 25 minutes of the new half for them to move into the ascendancy properly. In the 68th minute, Sandler capped an excellent day from defence and headed in a Tjaronn Chery corner from the right.
A late flurry saw NEC add two more with Kento Shiogaiโs double. The first saw him tap in from a Fabian de Keijzer on 82โฒ, before his second was a close-range finish following fine work by Youssef El-Kachati on the left byline. After scoring nine goals in two games, NEC now sit top of the Eredivisie pile. The question is, how long will it last?
The last of Saturdayโs games saw Groningen welcome Heerenveen in the Derby van het Noorden (Derby of the North). Given the home sideโs welcome of their rivals, this game didnโt need much to set the atmosphere alight. However, after Luuk Brouwers nodded a long Sam Kersten ball back from the left for Jacob Trenskow to fire home, the latter holding his ear to the crowd mustโve poked the bear.
As the fans responded to that goal with a wave of plastic cups from the stands, the players took a better approach and let the football do the talking. After a few brief showings of danger, Brynjolfur Willumsson was the man to get his side back on level terms in the 29th minute. He fired speculatively from range and watched as Andries Noppert parried the ball over his own shoulder and into the net.
The second period saw Heerenveen look the most dangerous with the presence of Maxence Rivera, until Groningen set up a deadly final flurry of action. First, young David van der Werff forced Noppert to react well to a low drive from range in the 84th minute. Willumsson then took the roof off with the winner in the fourth minute of stoppage time. Marvin Peersman lofted a ball up to the box, Thom van Bergen won the knockdown, and the Icelandic striker slid the ball past Noppert for a more convincing second goal to secure the three points at the Euroberg.
Sunday: Ajax falter in Deventer, Volendam nab another draw, and Holtby stars in Breda
Looking for a little more routine performance after their late drama against Fortuna Sittard on the opening night, Go Ahead Eagles hosted Ajax on Sunday. Their search for normality was quickly hindered by โMr 1-0โ, Davy Klaassen, as he nodded his side in front just three minutes in as GAE failed to clear.
Following half chances for Victor Edvardsen, Joris Kramer and Kenneth Taylor, Melle Meulensteen levelled things up on 20โฒ. A cleared Dean James free-kick from the left was reworked by Edvardsen, and Meulensteen rose best to nod the ball past Vitezslav Jaros. The Eagles swooped into the lead just before the interval, as an Edvardsen cut-back from the right found Evert Linthorst to slam in.
However, this wouldnโt be the final scoring act, as Youri Baasโ flicked header saw things ultimately level up as, again, the hosts just couldnโt get the ball out of their box. Steven Berghuis did look to win it for Ajax in the second half, yet his 70th-minute strike was chalked off for handball in the build-up.
PSV travelled to Enschede in their second game of the campaign, and made a fast start against Twente, as Sergino Destโs low cross forced an own goal from Max Bruns just seven minutes in. Following this, Alassane Pleaโs right knee buckled nastily after a challenge from Robin Propper and had PSV fans fearing the worst as he was forced to leave the pitch in the 22nd minute.
Twente perhaps sensed a shift in momentum and upped the ante in attack. However, Matej Kovar made a string of four important saves that eventually proved decisive in his teamโs victory. In the 54th minute, Mauro Junior was high on the left and showed great awareness to pick out Jordy Schouten on the edge of the area. The captain found his spot in the bottom-left corner and swept home to seal a more comfortable two-goal deficit, which could have been more, as Ismael Saibari and Guus Til both hit the right post.
Similar to FC Groningen and NAC Breda, Sparta Rotterdam grabbed their first three points of the season as they beat Utrecht 2-1 at home. After being slightly disrupted by Nick Vergeverโs slamming hit on Shunsuke Mito, Sparta managed to take the lead in the first half through a wonderful Joshua Kitolano strike 25 minutes in. Receiving the ball on the left of the box, he emphatically shot on the turn with his right foot and swung an effort past keeper Michael Brouwer and into the top-right corner.
After Dani de Wit had a goal disallowed for offside, Sparta still struggled to contain him, and he notched one back for the Domstedelingen in the 63rd minute. Souffian El Karouaniโs whipped corner from the right was a dangerous one as it took a flick off a Sparta head. Despite the pace, De Wit was in the right place at the back post to send a diving header past Joel Drommel.
Kitolano was involved in his sideโs second goal late on, as his run into the box was stopped by a flailing, floor-bound Mike van der Hoorn. With the ball adjudged to have hit the experienced defenderโs hand, Tobias Lauritsen stepped up to coolly roll his 88th-minute penalty past Brouwer for the win.
Volendam came out fighting in their clash with AZ Alkmaar as Aurelio Oehlers gave his side the lead just seven minutes in at the Kras Stadion. Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduroโs ball out was poor and intercepted. Ozan Kokcu crossed, and the AZ keeper couldnโt do much to make up for his earlier error, as Oehlers slammed a low effort through the stopperโs body to grab the lead.
After considerable pressure, AZ found a way back just minutes later. Sven Mijnans crossed from the left, and despite his diminutive stature, Ibrahim Sadiq squeezed a superb header back across goal into the bottom corner. Making things better for the travelling Alkmaarders, Troy Parrott continued his hot run of form in the 54th minute. Just like the first of the match, this strike came about after poor movement out from the back. However, nothing could be taken away from star prospect Kees Smit, as he intercepted the pass on the right and drove a low ball back for Parrott to punch into the top-left corner.
Unfortunately for AZ, the cyclic themes continued in this match as Owusu-Oduro was at fault for Volendamโs decisive leveller in the 65th minute. Xavier Mbuyamba rose well to a Brandley Kuwas corner on the right and nodded down. The AZ keeper looked to be on it, but could only parry the ball into the inside netting.
Lewis Holtby was the star in the weekendโs final match. The NAC Breda newcomer stole North Brabant hearts from the first whistle, as he amped up the fans, and grabbed a goal and an assist on his debut. His goal came in the 23rd minute as Mohamed Nassohโs cross from the left was inadvertently knocked down in the area by a jumping Justin Hubner. The experienced German likely couldnโt believe his luck as he slammed it low past Mattijs Branderhorst before sprinting to the fans.
In the second half, Holtby continued his cult debut with an assist for Juho Talvitieโs 57th-minute wonderstrike. The Finn latched onto a simple pass to the left-centre and did the rest, bending a beauty of a hit into the top-let corner off the underside of the crossbar.
Capping the end of an influential first outing, Holtby left the field in the 70th minute to an ovation. Funnily enough, after this, it was the turn of another cult debutant to take centre stage. Mohamed Ihattaren curled in a peach of a corner from the left in the 76th minute for Philip Brittijn to convert his second goal in as many games with a great header at the near post.
League table after Matchweek 2
Top goalscorers after Matchweek 2
FotMob Team of the Week
GBeNeFNย |ย Max Bradfield
