PSV Eindhoven 1-5 Ajax: Ajax hit five past PSV
Ajax stunned PSV Eindhoven on Sunday by inflicting a crushing defeat on the league leaders at the Philips Stadion.
The outstanding win sees the Amsterdammers close to within five points of PSV at the Eredivisie summit, with just five games remaining in the campaign.
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar fired the visitors into the lead inside 20 minutes while Wesley Sneijder doubled the advantage for Henk ten Cate's men a minute before the interval.
Patrick Kluivert reduced the deficit for the hosts midway through the second half, but a further strike from Huntelaar and two more from Garcia Gabri and Kenneth Perez sealed an emphatic win for the visitors.
The three points ensures Ten Cate's men climb into second place at the expense of AZ Alkmaar, who were held on the road at Heracles.
Ronald Koeman's PSV looked sluggish from the outset, and Ajax forward Ryan Babel gave a taster of what was to come with an excellent shot on eight minutes that flew wide of the upright.
Failing to heed that warning shot across their bows, PSV fell behind on 17 minutes.
Sneijder was the architect of the goal, surging forward before releasing Johnny Heitinga down the right wing.
The defender in turn picked out Huntelaar in space just inside the PSV box, and he made no mistake with a fine shot beyond Heurelho Gomes.
PSV looked to force their way back into contention on 22 minutes, but Edison Mendez was aggrieved to see his effort brilliantly saved by Maarten Stekelenburg.
Ajax's second goal came slightly against the run of play on 44 minutes.
The impressive Sneijder was the scorer, creating the chance out of nothing with a speculative effort from 25 yards that arrowed into the roof of the net.
And Edgar Davids might have made it three for the visitors right on half-time, but his powerful effort crashed back off the upright.
PSV clawed themselves back into things on 68 minutes when Kluivert played a delightful one-two with fellow substitute Diego Tardelli, paving the way for the former Barcelona man to score with a well-taken strike.
But just as it appeared PSV might snatch an unlikely point, Huntelaar popped up to restore the two-goal advantage with a clinical strike on 72 minutes.
Then, just 60 seconds later and with the home defence in seeming disarray, Gabri popped up with a fourth to send the travelling support into raptures.
Mendez might have snatched a second for PSV in the dying stages only to hit the post with a low drive, but the final word was destined to go to the visitors as Perez was played in by Tom De Mul in the final minute to complete the rout.
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=199716&cc=4716