Ajax left to pray for miracle as poor run gives PSV golden chance to snatch title

Ajax thought they had gotten over their recent struggles to claim title glory once again after three years. However, drama has returned to Amsterdam in the form of a historical debacle. Just three weeks ago, Francesco Farioli's side were leading the Eredivisie with a nine-point lead over PSV Eindhoven. Today, the capital outfit are no longer masters of their own destiny.

A dismal run of two defeats and two draws in their last four matches has seen Ajax fall to second on 75 points. With only one game remaining until the end of the season, PSV hold a one-point advantage over their bitter rivals. Ajax host Twente, who have already secured Europa League qualification, at the Johan Cruyff Arena, while Peter Bosz’s men visit Sparta Rotterdam. 

In sum, Ajax’s work over the past nine months risks going down the drain in a matter of three weeks in which they crumbled to defeats by Utrecht (4-0) and Nijmegen (0-3 at home) and two draws against Sparta (1-1) and Groningen (2-2), who manage to rescue points in the 99th minute and with one player less.

Farioli, Ajax’s first foreign head coach since Morten Olsen in 1998, will be hoping for a dramatic comeback on the final day and set the foundations for a long reign in the Netherlands. After six changes in the dugout in three years, stability is exactly what Ajax need to fully put the past turbulent years behind them. Everything will depend on whether a miracle happens for them. They will need to win against Twente and hope that, at the other end, PSV draw or lose.