Highlighted: PSV First Test for Ajax Under Van 't Schip's Reign
The Eredivisie will see two top matches this weekend. On Saturday, Ajax - PSV is on the agenda, followed by AZ - Feyenoord the next day. The fact that the former match is scheduled for Saturday is quite remarkable. In this century, these two teams have faced each other on this day only three times before, with the last occurrence being on December 1, 2012. Ajax emerged victorious with a 3-1 win at the Johan Cruijff Arena.
Ajax is currently on a streak of three defeats against PSV. However, they have never lost four times in a row to PSV in Eredivisie history. When Ajax and PSV faced off earlier this season on October 29 in Eindhoven, Ajax was considered to have slim chances from the start. PSV secured a convincing 5-2 victory, exposing the leaky Amsterdam defense. Since that match, John van 't Schip has been leading the team, and Ajax has remained unbeaten in eleven consecutive league matches. It should be noted that none of these matches were against the current top 4 teams in the Eredivisie. Ajax may consider themselves more favorable in their own home against a slightly less in-form PSV.
October 29, 2023, PSV's Hirving Lozano scores 5-2 during the PSV - Ajax match.
This month, Ajax acquired the much-needed experience and quality boost with 81-cap English international Jordan Henderson. With 491 official matches for Liverpool, often as captain, he is an ideal player to guide the young Ajax talents. He could make his debut against PSV, potentially becoming the oldest outfield player to debut in the Eredivisie for Ajax since André Ooijer in August 2010 (36 years, 41 days), and the oldest foreign player since Ismael Urzáiz in August 2007 (35 years, 323 days). Furthermore, he will be the sixth foreign player to have won the Champions League and played in the final to have appeared in the Eredivisie, following Finidi George, Jari Litmanen, Nwankwo Kanu, Samuel Kuffour, and Oleguer.
Jordan Henderson as a spectator during the Heracles - Ajax match (2-4).
Luuk de Jong, also 33 years old like Henderson, is in the form of his life. He has already scored seventeen goals this Eredivisie season, including seven in his last four matches. Moreover, he has been consistently scoring against upcoming opponent Ajax. He has found the net in each of his last six Eredivisie matches against them (7 goals), a feat unmatched by any other player against Ajax. In total, De Jong has scored nine times against Ajax, a record only surpassed by four other players in Eredivisie history.
| Player | Eredivisie Goals Against Ajax |
|---|---|
|
Cor van der Gijp |
12 |
|
Ruud Geels |
10 |
|
Hans Venneker |
10 |
|
Dick Nanninga |
10 |
|
Luuk de Jong |
9 |
|
Kenneth Perez |
9 |
|
Hallvar Thoresen |
9 |
|
Ronald Lengkeek |
9 |
|
Tonny van der Linden |
9 |
|
Willy van der Kuijlen |
9 |
|
Chris Coenen |
9 |
Read more
