Feyenoord edged closer to the title with a second-half win over Ajax in a wild classic

Feyenoord Lucharel Ertrude scored the late winner against Ajax in a frantic Klassiker at the Amsterdam Arena on Sunday, giving them a big chance to win the Dutch league title with a 3-2 win over their arch-rivals . step forward.

Gertrude headed home from close range to give Feyenoord their first league win in Amsterdam since 2005 and, more importantly, extend their lead to six points at the top of the table with eight games remaining.

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Not only are they chasing their first league title since 2016/17, at least on paper, but the fight is getting easier.

Feyenoord took the lead in the fifth minute through a goal from Santiago Jimenez, but goals from Mexican Edson Alvarez and Ajax captain Dusan Tadic turned the game in favor of the home team just before half-time.

Sebastian Szymanski equalized for Feyenoord after the break and Gertrude scored the winner in the 86th minute from David Hanko’s cross, earning the defender a new contract and his first call-up to the Dutch national team.

The result could end Ajax’s seven-game winning streak under new coach John Heitinga and deal a fatal blow to their title hopes.

A brilliant move from Jimenez gave Feyenoord the lead, but former Feyenoord favorite Steven Berghuis sent in a corner and Alvarez headed in at the back post for Ajax to equalize.

Tadic then gave Ajax the lead with a clean strike from Steven Bergwijn into the box, but Szymanski denied the lead with Alireza Jahanbakhsh’s low cross.

Ajax had a chance to score late through Mohamed Kudos, but Feyenoord goalkeeper Timon Wellenreuther made a great save. Then the guests took to the field and, thanks to Gertrude, took three valuable points.

In the third episode of The Greatest Rivalries, I will be watching the main match of the Dutch Eredivisie derby.

Despite PSV Eindhoven’s domestic dominance of late, the most important match on the Dutch football calendar remains the Klassiker match between Ajax Amsterdam and Feyenoord Rotterdam.

Success in the early years of Dutch football gave rise to a rivalry between the two clubs, with many league titles and the KNVB Cup shared between the leading clubs in Amsterdam and Rotterdam.

To date, Ajax is the most successful Dutch club in history, having won 29 Eredivisie titles, more than double Feyenoord’s 14 titles. Ajax have also enjoyed far more success on the European stage than any of their domestic counterparts, with four European Cup wins compared to Feyenoord’s (and PSV’s) one.

The rivalry between the two clubs can also be seen as a rivalry between the two largest cities in Holland. These games are not only a football clash, but also a clash of different cultures and views.

Feyenoord’s (and PSV’s) one

Rotterdam is the industrial center of Holland with one of the largest ports in Europe. Feyenoord is a workers’ club.

Amsterdam, on the other hand, is considered a cultural city for tourists. Residents of Rotterdam think Amsterdam is arrogant and lazy.

There is a famous quote from Sparta Rotterdam fan Jules Dielder that may perhaps explain the view of Amsterdam: “Holland’s money is made in Rotterdam, divided in The Hague and flushed down the toilet in Amsterdam.”

Such differences in relationships between cities and fans have invariably led to difficult relationships between fans. In 2004, during a reserve team match between Ajax and Feyenoord, Rotterdam player Jorge Acuna was taken to hospital after being attacked by Ajax. However, the most shameful incident is probably the Beverwijk incident.

Rival fans clashed in the town of Beverwijk near Amsterdam in 1997. Many were injured and one Ajax fan was even killed. Incidents like these have served as the catalyst for some of the most innovative football match policing techniques in Europe. Violence between fans has decreased as police have attempted to escort fans from buses and trains to stadiums and on match days when the two teams meet.

The Classicer is another example of a match that goes beyond the usual football rivalry. However, this time it is not politics and religion that interfere, but culture and attitude.

To a neutral observer, it may seem that Feyenoord fans are jealous of the attention Amsterdam receives. Ajax is the most famous club in Holland, and it appears that Feyenoord and Rotterdam are tired of living in the shadow of their more illustrious neighbors.

Ajax are considered arrogant and as long as Feyenoord and their fans continue to try to bring them down, this will remain a great rivalry.