Netherlands round-up: Ajax settle into stride

AFC Ajax cruised to the top of the Dutch First Division at the weekend, comfortably brushing aside RKC Waalwijk 4-1 in Amsterdam.

Imperious form
Ajax, who travel to AC Milan in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, have hit the ground running this season, collecting 12 points from four matches. It was more of the same on Saturday as Brazilian midfield player Maxwell scored twice to put his team 2-0 up by half-time. Tomáš Galásek converted a penalty to make it 3-0 immediately after the break.

Sonck fourth
A minute later RKC's Virgilio Teixeira was sent off and Ajax took maximum advantage, Belgium forward Wesley Sonck hitting the fourth in the 61st minute with his first goal for the club. Khalid Boulahrouz grabbed a consolation for RKC, now third.

Kezman action
Champions PSV Eindhoven – AS Monaco’s opponents in Europe on Wednesday – moved second place on the back of a 2-1 defeat of FC Utrecht. Mateja Kezman opened the scoring in the 16th minute – his sixth goal of the season – and captain Mark van Bommel doubled the lead. Toshiya Fujita pulled one back two minutes into injury time after Kezman had missed a penalty.

Promising start
SC Heerenveen edged out FC Groningen 1-0 thanks to a goal from Swedish full-back Petter Hansson six minutes before the break. The result put Foppe de Haan’s team into fourth position in the standings and consolidated a promising start to the season.

Kuijt leveller
Dirk Kuijt grabbed a late equaliser to salvage a 2-2 draw for sixth-placed Feyenoord in a hard-fought match at AZ Alkmaar on Sunday. The forward had converted a ninth-minute penalty before their hosts, who stayed fifth, hit back through Barry van Galen and Ali Elkhattabi to go into half-time ahead.

NEC comeback
Elsewhere, NEC Nijmegen overcame a 1-0 deficit to see off FC Twente 2-1. The visitors made a promising start when they struck first in the 18th minute through Colin John and were awarded a penalty six minutes later after Dejan Govedarica was sent off. But goalkeeper Dennis Gentenaar saved Sjaak Polak's spot-kick and Blaise N'Kufo was then dismissed, evening up the numbers. Fabian de Freitas and Dennis de Nooijer both scored within four minutes of the restart to give the home side their second victory of the season.

Points shared
NAC Breda earned a point from a 1-1 draw with Willem II courtesy of an 89th-minute goal from Stefano Seedorf. Midfield player Danny Landzaat had given the visitors a seventh-minute lead.