Ajax close in on Champions League

AFC Ajax will meet FC Groningen for a place in the UEFA Champions League next season after both teams secured aggregate wins in the Eredivisie play-off semi-finals on Sunday.

Rosales opener
The winner of the post-season play-offs, involving the teams who finished second down to fifth, guarantees a UEFA Champions League third qualifying round place and Ajax, who reached this season's first knockout round, enhanced their chances of a return to the premier competition with a 7-2 aggregate victory against Feyenoord. Trailing 3-0 from the first leg in Amsterdam, Feyenoord - who finished a place above their rivals in fourth - began brightly but Ajax took the wind out of their sails when Mauro Rosales scored after 33 minutes. Klaas Jan Huntelaar then inflicted further damage six minutes later.

Kuijt consolation
After Salomon Kalou struck the post for Feyenoord from close range, Nourdin Boukhari added a third for Ajax shortly after the break. Dirk Kuijt pulled one back for Feyenoord but after Nicolea Mitea added a fourth not even Kuijt's second could soften his side's disappointment. Ajax will face Groningen in the final after they overcame AZ Alkmaar with a thrilling 4-3 aggregate win. Alkmaar, who finished three places above their opponents in second, lost the first leg 3-1 in Groningen but levelled the tie on aggregate thanks to goals from Danny Koevermans and Shota Arveladze. However, Groningen midfielder Danny Buijs proved the match winner when he beat Dutch international Joris Mathijsen in the air to head his side into the final, to be played over the next two midweeks.

UEFA Cup berths
Feyenoord and Alkmaar will return to the UEFA Cup next season, to be joined by the losers of Ajax's tie with Groningen, and the winners of the 6th-9th place play-off involving FC Twente, FC Utrecht, Roda JC and SC Heerenveen. PSV Eindhoven are already secure of a UEFA Champions League slot as title-winners.