After 26 weeks of Eredivisie football, it is safe to conclude that Ajax and PSV are engaged in a titanic battle.
Reigning champions PSV kicked off their campaign in inspired form by winning their first 10 consecutive league games. A loss to bitter rivals Ajax in October got the giants from Amsterdam within four points, but didn't distract the league leaders, as PSV would win the next four league games.
Their season took a turn for the worse after the 1-0 loss away at Robin van Persie's sc Heerenveen on December 1st. The defeat in Frisia knocked the wind out of Peter Bosz's team, which won just two of the next seven games in the Eredivisie. The next time PSV would win two consecutive league games would come in weeks 25 and 26, when Heerenveen (2-1) and RKC Waalwijk (3-0) were beaten.
Meanwhile, Ajax were trying to climb out of the deep hole the club had fallen into. Two disastrous seasons following Erik ten Hag's departure saw Ajax regress deeply and almost miss out on European football after the 2023-24 season.
Under the guidance of Italian boss Francesco Farioli, however, the record champions have recovered astoundingly quickly. A season which started with Europa League qualifying games in July didn't get off to a grand start with two wins from the first four league games, but would pick up steam right after.
After the 1-1 draw away at Go Ahead Eagles, Ajax won six straight games, including games against arch-nemeses Feyenoord and rivals PSV. A little rough patch in early December, which saw Ajax drop points in consecutive games for the first time in the Eredivisie, was followed up by a 10-game winning streak—their longest winning streak in seven years.
Their rampant form caused PSV to fall 8 points behind before game week 26. However, Ajax drew to bogey team AZ at home and saw their lead reduced to 6 points. With a massive game in the title race up next, the title race is about to catch fire.
Will Ajax lay claim to their 37th Eredivisie title? Or will PSV grab their 26th?
Let's take a look at how things stand and the title contenders' remaining schedules.
* All times are noted in Central European Time (+1)
As things stand
The remaining schedules of Ajax and PSV
GW27
Sunday, March 30th: PSV - Ajax (14.30)
The first game of the contenders' final sprint towards the finish line will be a direct fight between PSV and Ajax.
The two Dutch giants were both recently eliminated from their respective European competitions after being eliminated by Eintracht Frankfurt and Arsenal, making the league both teams' biggest and only priority.
PSV have dominated the recent games between the two giants, winning six straight meetings in 2022 and 2023. Ajax broke their opponents' streak in the derby during the last meeting in October 2024 by beating PSV 3-2 in a spectacular battle.
With a win, Ajax will expand their lead to 9 points and almost certainly grab the title. PSV, however, could come to within 3 points of Ajax and blast the title race wide open.
GW28
Saturday, April 5th: FC Groningen - PSV (20.00)
PSV meet ninth-placed FC Groningen - nicknamed the Pride of the North - at a good time for the home side. At the time of writing, Groningen have won three of the last four Eredivisie games. Meanwhile, PSV failed to win in four of their last five Eredivisie away games.
Sunday, April 6th: Ajax - NAC Breda (16.45)
One day after PSV's game in the North of the Netherlands, Ajax will host 12th-placed NAC Breda in the Johan Cruyff ArenA. NAC handed Ajax their first loss this season when captain Jan Van den Bergh headed in the winner in the 91st minute. However, the team from Breda won just one of their last 11 games as of March 25th.
GW29
Saturday, April 12th: PSV - Almere City (20.00)
PSV will host bottom feeders Almere City before enjoying a week off. PSV beat Almere City 7-1 in their own backyard in August and will look to book another victory against this season's worst performers in away games.
Sunday, April 13th: Willem II - Ajax (16.45)
Willem II opened their season strongly, concluding the first half of the season in the heat of the fight for a spot in the play-offs. However, Willem II have regressed mightily in 2025 and are tied up in a fight against relegation. Willem II won none of their first nine Eredivisie games of 2025 and will need a small miracle to beat the team they only beat twice since 2008.
GW30
Thursday, April 24th: FC Twente - PSV (21.00)
One of PSV's tougher opponents on paper, FC Twente, will look to beat PSV for just the second time since 2013. The Grolsch Veste can be an intimidating stadium to play at, but the home side will need to improve against a big opponent. FC Twente have only won one of their seven meetings with teams from the Eredivisie's top 7 this season.
Sunday, April 27th: Ajax - Sparta Rotterdam (14.30)
The return of the wildly unpopular manager Maurice Steijn to the Johan Cruyff ArenA will come as both are tangled in important battles. Sparta are fighting relegation, whereas Ajax will look to possibly clinch a title if results fall their way in the weeks leading up to their Sparta game.
Sparta last beat Ajax in 2009 and grabbed their only points from the last 30 years in Amsterdam in that same year.
GW31
Saturday, April 20th: FC Utrecht - Ajax (12.15)
Brought forward to aid the security and police force, FC Utrecht and Ajax will play one of only two games which will be played that weekend. FC Utrecht have long been Ajax's bogey team and kept the Amsterdam side to a draw earlier this season, but have hit a slump with just four wins in 14 Eredivisie games between December and April.
Saturday, May 3rd: PSV - Fortuna Sittard (21.00)
PSV only lost once to Fortuna Sittard since 1995, and that loss didn't even come in the 21st century. Ever since Fortuna clinched promotion to the Eredivisie in 2018, PSV have won 11 of their 13 meetings with the Southern Dutch side. Fortuna battle for European football, but have only won 2 of their 9 Eredivisie games in 2025.
GW32
Sunday, May 11th: Feyenoord - PSV (14.30)
PSV will face their biggest obstacle after the Ajax game, just one week before the final game of the season. Feyenoord brought in club icon Robin van Persie in the middle of the season and injected some much-needed life into the team. Van Persie booked his first Eredivisie win as Feyenoord manager right before the international break as FC Twente got thumped 6-2 in Enschede.
PSV and Feyenoord met each other on three occasions already this season - Feyenoord beat PSV in the Johan Cruyff Shield after penalties, but could not duplicate this success in the league and KNVB Cup with 3-0 and 2-0 losses. However, PSV have only won in De Kuip twice since 2018. Will this derby be the final dagger in the title race?
Sunday, May 11th: Ajax - NEC Nijmegen (16.45)
Ajax will know what PSV have done away at Feyenoord before their kick-off against NEC Nijmegen, the team they have not lost to since 2005. NEC could wave manager Rogier Meijer goodbye one week after their game in Amsterdam, and will want to send him off with a good season. The Nijmegen team are battling for a spot in the play-offs for European football - a shock win in Amsterdam will certainly help their cause.
GW33
Wednesday, May 14th: FC Groningen - Ajax (20.00)
The final two game weeks of the season will traditionally see all nine games played simultaneously. Ajax will travel to Groningen to meet the side that made it very hard for them earlier this season. The 36-time champions needed two 90th-minute goals from Wout Weghorst and Davy Klaassen to clinch a 3-1 win over Groningen in Amsterdam.
Meanwhile, Groningen have only beaten Ajax twice in the last 13 years. However, at the time of writing, FC Groningen have remained unbeaten at home since November 1st, 2024. Ajax will have to work for a win in the 'Green Hell'.
Wednesday, May 14th: PSV - Heracles Almelo (20.00)
Heracles Almelo have proven to be a tough side to break down at times, but the relegation candidate will need to summon higher powers to try and beat the reigning Eredivisie champions - Heracles have only beaten PSV once in the last 60(!) years. PSV might be fighting for the title, too, with just one game remaining.
GW34
Sunday, May 18th: Ajax - FC Twente (14.30)
The last time Ajax hosted FC Twente on the final day of the Eredivisie season, the Amsterdam side booked one of their most famous wins in Eredivisie history by beating direct title rivals FC Twente 3-1 on May 15th, 2011. This win ended a 7-year wait for Ajax's 30th title and third star on their kit.
Will history repeat itself on May 18th? A positive sign for Ajax is that FC Twente have only won in Amsterdam once since 2005. FC Twente will possibly still be fighting for the vital third spot, though—the final Champions League spot.
Sunday, May 18th: Sparta Rotterdam - PSV (14.30)
PSV's final hurdle will be relegation candidates Sparta. The Eindhoven side won the last five meetings with Sparta in a row, and last lost to Sparta in 2016. Sparta haven't beaten PSV at home in the Eredivisie since November 2001, and of their five home games against teams from the top 7 this season, only the one against Feyenoord earned them a point.
The fight between Ajax and PSV might go all the way to the end. Who will take home the Eredivisie title?