The report

After two league-free weekends, PSV's O15 team faced Ajax's peers at home today. PSV had now played seven games in league play and gained fourteen points in those games. The guests, on the other hand, had already completed one more game and gained fifteen points in those eight games. So the home team had fewer losing points and would pass the Amsterdammers on the league table if they won. And that a victory is very much a possibility is shown by the fact that PSV took three points from Amsterdam earlier this season, after a lesson in efficiency. Back then, the Eindhoven players won 0-2.

The opening of the match was for Ajax. It hit the top of the crossbar after just one minute. And continued to be the team with by far the most ball possession. In the end, it's about what you do with the ball. Despite much possession, the guests had difficulty finding a hole in the Eindhoven defense. Via a few shots from around the sixteen-meter area, they were occasionally threatening. And when an effort was on target, goalkeeper Niek Schiks was on standby. PSV was able to counter with a few pinpricks. Without creating any significant chances. Both goalkeepers kept their goal clean until the halftime signal, so the teams went to the dressing rooms with a 0-0 score.

After halftime, the first threat was from PSV's side. Jaivy Lourens went through well on the left and crossed high after which the ball lingered a bit in the goal area. Unfortunately, an Ajacied player got to the ball before any of the PSV players did. Also in the opening phase of the second half, Ajax mostly had the ball. Not entirely unexpectedly, the guests took the lead in the 44th minute. A cross from the left side PSV landed somewhat fortuitously at the far post on the head of an Ajax player who struck the goal via the crown of Milan Govaers: 0-1. PSV straightened up and came alongside in the 53rd minute. A nice deep pass from Sven Simons was promoted to a goal by Ruben van Bommel, who kicked the ball over the goalkeeper into the far corner: 1-1. After PSV got away well in the 62nd minute when the outside right of Ajax cut inside and shot the ball just wide, it was a minute later. It was the home team that made it 2-1, and again it was a beautiful goal by Ruben van Bommel. Jaivy Lourens received the ball halfway through the Ajax half, went inside and passed the ball to Ruben who did not think twice and from the edge of the penalty area curled the ball beautifully into the far top corner: 2-1! And the cake was not yet over. In the 65th minute Iggy Houben increased the score to 3-1. With a lot of feeling the ball was thrown deep from behind by the strong playing Matteo Dams to the sprinting Iggy who showed his opponent his heels and coolly outsmarted the outflowing goalkeeper with a smart lob. Three beautiful goals by PSV and also three points.

So a nice result today in a match that was almost a copy of the match in Amsterdam. Ajax most in possession of the ball, PSV particularly effective in finishing. And as a great football philosopher once said 'if you score more than your opponent, you win'. Because in the end, it's the goals that count, not the % of ball possession. Next week the O15 will meet Feyenoord in Eindhoven. Another great game of football ahead.

Setup: Niek Schiks; Livano Commenencia, Luc Netten (c) (36' Milan Govaers), Matteo Dams, Julian Kuijpers; Lars Putters, Sven Simons, Chahid el Allachi (53' Shi-jon Martina); Iggy Houben, Jesper Uneken (44' Ruben van Bommel), Jaivy Lourens.

Yellow card: Milan Govaers.