“The teams ranked 14 and 15 in the Eredivisie before the kick-off went into this game knowing that, after wins by both Excelsior and VVV, a loss today would bring them close to the relegation play-offs. Unfortunately this insecurity shone through the start of the match with both teams clearly lacking confidence.” 11 tegen 11

Ajax 2 – 0 De Graafschap: The ugly game explained
“Frank de Boer’s Ajax faced newly promoted side De Graafschap at home in a must-win match to keep up with title contenders PSV and Twente. They ultimately succeeded in their goal of winning three points, but the style of play did not please the home crowd at all as a lot of simple passes were misplaced and De Graafschap proved more stern opposition than most Ajax supporters had expected. Let’s dive into the tactics of this match to find out why Ajax never succeeded to turn on the style…” 11 tegen 11

Wolves 2-1 Man United: poor defending from set-pieces costs United their unbeaten record
“Manchester United lost in the league for the first time this season. Mick McCarthy made two changes. David Jones and David Edwards made way for Jamie O’Hara and Nenad Milijas. Sir Alex Ferguson’s right side of his defence changed – Rafael in for John O’Shea, whilst Jonny Evans was a late replacement for Rio Ferdinand. All the goals here came in an action-packed first half. It was not a particularly ‘tactical’ contest – United were 4-4-2, Wolves were 4-4-1-1 with Jamie O’Hara just off Kevin Doyle. Both sides played their natural game, and didn’t particularly look to change things throughout.” Zonal Marking