Ajax wins 2-1 at Twente to close in on Dutch title

AMSTERDAM (AP) -Theo Janssen and Gregory van der Wiel scored as defending champion Ajax beat FC Twente 2-1 Sunday to close in on the Dutch league title.

Ajax started the match knowing a win at Twente coupled with a Feyenoord-AZ Alkmaar draw would seal its 31st championship.

But Otman Bakkal scored as Feyenoord beat AZ 1-0 to move second in the league, six points behind Ajax. Victory against VVV Venlo on Wednesday will seal the title for Frank de Boer's side.

Also Sunday, Dries Mertens and Marcelo scored in the first half as PSV Eindhoven beat 10-man Roda JC 3-1 to move third.

Roda goalkeeper Pawel Kieszek was ejected in the 82nd minute for denying PSV's Jetro Willems an obvious scoring opportunity but Jermaine Lens failed to convert the resulting penalty before setting up Memphis Depay for the third, two minutes later.

Ajax escaped an early attack from Twente when Ola John hit the woodwork with a low shot from inside the penalty area.

In a one-sided first half, Ajax barely managed a shot on target but went ahead in the 29th when goalkeeper Nikolay Mihaylov fouled van der Wiel in the area and former Twente midfielder Theo Janssen stepped in to convert the penalty.

Midfielder Leroy Fer levelled for Twente with an unstoppable shot from the edge of the area in the 72nd.

But with 12 minutes remaining, van der Wiel scored from close range to give Ajax the win.

Later Sunday, RKC Waalwijk drew with NEC Nijmegen 1-1.

On Saturday, it was: Heracles Almelo 2, SC Heerenveen 4; FC Utrecht 1, NAC Breda 3; Vitesse Arnhem 3, Excelsior Rotterdam 2; and VVV-Venlo 2, ADO The Hague 1.