Alkmaar top the Christmas chart

By Berend Scholten

AZ Alkmaar are the surprise Eredivisie winter champions after collecting their tenth consecutive league win to leapfrog PSV Eindhoven, who were shocked by Roda JC.

Rare challenge
Alkmaar are the only club outside the dominant trio of Feyenoord, PSV and AFC Ajax to have lifted the championship trophy in the last 40 years when they did so in 1980/81. They also led at the halfway stage of that campaign and goals in either half from Robin Nelisse and Denny Landzaat secured Saturday's win at RBC Roosendaal.

First defeat
Co Adriaanse's side now lead the Eredivisie on goal difference after PSV lost for the first time this season at home against Roda. The match hinged on the dismissal of Alex two minutes before half-time after the defender clashed with Aroune Koné. Roda were ahead by the interval through László Bodnár's sublime added-time free-kick. Sergio sealed a 2-0 victory ten minutes from the final whistle.

Babel double
Ajax scored four goals in 21 second-half minutes as they overcame a resolute FC Groningen side in emphatic fashion at the Oosterpark Stadion. The reigning champions dominated the first half but could find no way through until Wesley Sneijder broke the deadlock on 57 minutes. Nicolae Mitea doubled the lead before Ryan Babel added two more.

Feyenoord falter
Ajax are third, six points ahead of Feyenoord, whose recent malaise continued with a 2-0 defeat by ADO Den Haag. Geert den Ouden and Sjaak Polak combined for both strikes, scoring a goal apiece as Ruud Gullit's men failed to win for the fourth successive match.

Denneboom delight
Feyenoord's fellow UEFA Cup contenders SC Heerenveen also lost as NEC Nijmegen edged a five-goal thriller under caretaker coach Cees Lok. Rob Wielaert opened the scoring from the penalty spot but it was two second-half goals from Romano Denneboom that proved decisive. Scandinavian midfield duo Daniel Hestad and Mika Väyrynen were on target for Heerenveen.

Vitesse victory
Hans van der Haar gave FC Utrecht a 1-0 win against FC Den Bosch to move alongside Heerenveen in fifth, a point ahead of SBV Vitesse Arnhem, who ran out 3-1 victors against De Graafschap. Elsewhere, the match between FC Twente and NAC Breda ended 0-0 on Friday, while RKC Waalwijk earned a narrow 1-0 win against Willem II.