Ajax’s unbeaten Eredivisie start ends as PSV Eindhoven climb to the summit

Ajax suffered their first defeat of the season as PSV Eindhoven secured a 3-1 victory in Amsterdam to move top of the Eredivisie, with Marc-Andre ter Stegen enduring a difficult night in goal.

The hosts fell behind after only four minutes, when Ricardo Pepi rose to meet a cross inside the penalty area and headed the ball into the net. Ter Stegen was unable to judge the delivery correctly, and his attempted intervention contributed to PSV Eindhoven taking an early lead.

Ajax tried to respond quickly and had an opportunity to level through Tolu Arokodare. However, PSV Eindhoven remained the more dangerous side and continued to threaten the home defence.

The visitors then extended their advantage moments before half-time. Lutsharel Geertruida scored PSV Eindhoven’s second goal, leaving Ajax facing a difficult task at the interval and increasing the pressure on the home side.

The opening goal was also highlighted in a post shared during the match:

“¡PERO AJAX, DESPIERTA! 😱El PSV solo necesita cuatro minutos para adelantarse en el partido ⚡#ErediviseEnDAZN⚽🇳🇱pic.twitter.com/4jx8GnUcC3”

Ajax pushed forward strongly in the closing stages in an attempt to reduce the deficit and revive their hopes of recovering a result. Their attacking pressure, however, created spaces for PSV Eindhoven to exploit.

The away side used those openings to settle the contest, with Esmir Bajraktarevic scoring a third goal late in the match. PSV Eindhoven ultimately held on for a 3-1 win, completing a commanding away performance against their title rivals.

The result leaves Ajax six points behind the new league leaders, although they have a match in hand. AZ Alkmaar also have a game in hand, meaning the gap between them and Ajax could grow to eight points.

For Ajax, the defeat brought an end to their unbeaten beginning to the campaign. Their night was marked by an early defensive setback, an inability to turn their chances into an equaliser and PSV Eindhoven’s effectiveness when the hosts committed players forward.

PSV Eindhoven, by contrast, took full advantage of Ajax’s mistakes and moved to the top of the Eredivisie after a result that delivered a significant blow to the Amsterdam club’s position in the title race.