Tuesday, December 14, 2021 at 07:11• Dominic Mostert

Aad de Mos is surprised by the vulnerability of Ajax in the Eredivisie. Erik ten Hag’s team didn’t miss a beat in the Champions League, but managed to win ‘only’ eleven of the sixteen games in its own competition. Due to the defeat against AZ (1-2) on Sunday, PSV was able to take over the lead via a victory over NEC (1-2). De Mos foresees a spectacular title fight until the bitter end between PSV, Ajax and Feyenoord.

PSV currently has one point more than Ajax and Feyenoord. With The Classic approaching, the people of Eindhoven know that they can end up in at least one of the two competitors next weekend. PSV must then win themselves on a visit to RKC Waalwijk. “I never expected that Ajax would end up in the slipstream of PSV this season”, De Mos admits in conversation with The Telegraph. “Without talking about quality and quantity, you have to say that the Big Three have reunited. I think they will fight for the title until the last day.”

De Mos calls Ajax’s loss of points in home matches ‘structural’. The reigning champion has only played two of the last five home games in the Eredivisie. At the same time, he notes that PSV is ‘structurally’ not at home in top matches – encounters with Feyenoord (0-4) and Ajax (5-0) resulted in defeats, as well as important European matches. “But that doesn’t give you a chance for the title. You become champion against the little ones,” emphasizes De Mos, who notices that the recent wave of injuries at PSV may have worked in the team’s favor.

“It was only due to the injuries of established names such as Madueke, Zahavi and Gakpo that some puzzle pieces fell together,” he says. De Mos thinks that PSV will have to think about how Ibrahim Sangaré’s absence due to his participation in the Africa Cup can be compensated during the training camp in Spain next month. This is especially important with a view to the match against Ajax on January 23. “Then the truth will begin.”