Jordan Henderson’s Ajax concede in 99th minute to blow huge lead as title sickeningly slips away
Jordan Henderson and his Ajax teammates are at risk of one of Dutch football’s biggest title-race capitulations. The penultimate round of Eredivisie fixtures offered up a dramatic conclusion on Wednesday evening with Ajax leading their great rivals PSV Eindhoven by one point at kick-off. GettyJordan Henderson watched on as his Ajax side threw away top spot with one game to play[/caption] Henderson and co had some making up to do prior to the clash at Groningen having inexplicably blown the title race wide open in recent weeks. Ajax needed just six points from their final five games to win the league but somehow managed to let PSV off the hook by drawing two and losing two games. And the worst was still to come as they let slip a 99th-minute Equaliser to draw 2-2 against Groningen who had been reduced to 10 men. Henderson was seen shaking his head at the final whistle while other players including former Manchester United star Wout Weghorst were left in disbelief at what was unfolding. At the time of Thijmen Blokzijl’s last-gasp leveller, PSV fans had stayed behind after watching their side’s 4-1 destruction of lowly Heracles in the hope Ajax’s recent fragilities would continue. Their prayers were answered as fans and players celebrated wildly when news of Groningen’s leveller filtered through to the Philips Stadion. It all means that PSV go into Sunday’s final round of fixtures one point ahead of Ajax. Francesco Farioli’s side face European-chasing FC Twente in Amsterdam while PSV know a win at mid-table Sparta Rotterdam will seal back-to-back title wins and their 26th Eredivisie title overall. “It’s never easy to speak after conceding a last-minute equaliser,” Ajax boss Francesco Farioli said post-match. GettyHenderson tried his best to rally the troops but to no avail[/caption] AFPSome Ajax stars were inconsolable at full time[/caption] AFPMeanwhile, it was a night of unexpected jubilation for PSV Eindhoven[/caption] “It’s not over yet. We’ve got one more match to play: let’s go. “A goal in the final minutes has brought us joy earlier this season, but today it brings tears. “We gave it our all, but unfortunately it wasn’t enough. Still, football teaches us that anything can happen.” Farioli went on to play down his side’s cataclysmic collapse by reinforcing the club’s early-season objectives. “We started the season with the intention of qualifying for the Champions League,” said the Italian. “We succeeded. Last season Ajax got 35 points less than PSV. Now we are one point behind. So we are 34 points closer.” PSV will not be counting their chickens just yet in a season where they have also crumbled under pressure. Peter Bosz’s men were early-season pace-setters and looked nailed-on for a successful title defence until a run of one win in six league games in February and March saw Ajax seize control. Biggest title collapses in European football 12 points: Newcastle United – Premier League 1995/96 (Finished 2nd) 12 points: Real Madrid – La Liga 2003/04 (Finished 4th) 11 points: Manchester United – Premier League 1997/98 (Finished 2nd) 8 points: Arsenal – Premier League 2022/23 (Finished 2nd) 8 points: Monaco – Ligue 1 – 2003/04 (Finished 3rd) 6 points: Inter – Serie A 2001/02 (Finished 3rd) 5 points: Bayern Munich – Bundesliga 2011/12 (Finished 2nd) Ajax’s 2-0 win at PSV in late March appeared to kill off any suggestions of a title race but heavy defeats to Utrecht and NEC Nijmegen coupled with a PSV’s six-game winning run has turned the tables. Ajax’s Davy Klaassen, formerly of Everton said: “I don’t know if we collapsed. That sounds so intense. “But we did start playing less. But do you think it’s a shame that I’m not going to analyse this now. I’m only here because I have to. Analysing it is really difficult now.”
Jordan Henderson and his Ajax teammates are at risk of one of Dutch football’s biggest title-race capitulations.
The penultimate round of Eredivisie fixtures offered up a dramatic conclusion on Wednesday evening with Ajax leading their great rivals PSV Eindhoven by one point at kick-off.
Henderson and co had some making up to do prior to the clash at Groningen having inexplicably blown the title race wide open in recent weeks.
Ajax needed just six points from their final five games to win the league but somehow managed to let PSV off the hook by drawing two and losing two games.
And the worst was still to come as they let slip a 99th-minute Equaliser to draw 2-2 against Groningen who had been reduced to 10 men.
Henderson was seen shaking his head at the final whistle while other players including former Manchester United star Wout Weghorst were left in disbelief at what was unfolding.
At the time of Thijmen Blokzijl’s last-gasp leveller, PSV fans had stayed behind after watching their side’s 4-1 destruction of lowly Heracles in the hope Ajax’s recent fragilities would continue.
Their prayers were answered as fans and players celebrated wildly when news of Groningen’s leveller filtered through to the Philips Stadion.
It all means that PSV go into Sunday’s final round of fixtures one point ahead of Ajax.
Francesco Farioli’s side face European-chasing FC Twente in Amsterdam while PSV know a win at mid-table Sparta Rotterdam will seal back-to-back title wins and their 26th Eredivisie title overall.
“It’s never easy to speak after conceding a last-minute equaliser,” Ajax boss Francesco Farioli said post-match.
“It’s not over yet. We’ve got one more match to play: let’s go.
“A goal in the final minutes has brought us joy earlier this season, but today it brings tears.
“We gave it our all, but unfortunately it wasn’t enough. Still, football teaches us that anything can happen.”
Farioli went on to play down his side’s cataclysmic collapse by reinforcing the club’s early-season objectives.
“We started the season with the intention of qualifying for the Champions League,” said the Italian. “We succeeded. Last season Ajax got 35 points less than PSV. Now we are one point behind. So we are 34 points closer.”
PSV will not be counting their chickens just yet in a season where they have also crumbled under pressure.
Peter Bosz’s men were early-season pace-setters and looked nailed-on for a successful title defence until a run of one win in six league games in February and March saw Ajax seize control.
Biggest title collapses in European football
12 points: Newcastle United – Premier League 1995/96 (Finished 2nd)
12 points: Real Madrid – La Liga 2003/04 (Finished 4th)
11 points: Manchester United – Premier League 1997/98 (Finished 2nd)
8 points: Arsenal – Premier League 2022/23 (Finished 2nd)
8 points: Monaco – Ligue 1 – 2003/04 (Finished 3rd)
6 points: Inter – Serie A 2001/02 (Finished 3rd)
5 points: Bayern Munich – Bundesliga 2011/12 (Finished 2nd)
Ajax’s 2-0 win at PSV in late March appeared to kill off any suggestions of a title race but heavy defeats to Utrecht and NEC Nijmegen coupled with a PSV’s six-game winning run has turned the tables.
Ajax’s Davy Klaassen, formerly of Everton said: “I don’t know if we collapsed. That sounds so intense.
“But we did start playing less. But do you think it’s a shame that I’m not going to analyse this now. I’m only here because I have to. Analysing it is really difficult now.”
