FC Utrecht - Sparta Rotterdam: 1-1
FC Utrecht's hopes of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League qualifying cycle officially ended when the fourth-placed side drew 1-1 with Sparta Rotterdam.
Utrecht, this year's surprise package, needed a miracle to finish third in the Eredivisie with Feyenoord three points ahead and a vastly better goal difference. The home side didn't improve their chances when they allowed Sparta striker Tobias Lauritsen to open the scoring after 12 minutes, but wouldn't let the visitors enjoy their lead for much longer as American ace Paxten Aaronson scored the equaliser 24 minutes later.
A medical emergency in the stands prompted referee Dennis Higler, the VAR official for the upcoming Champions League final, to stop play. Sixteen minutes of injury time were added to the match, but no side would come out as winners as the 1-1 scoreline would stay put.
Sparta are in the heat of the battle for the crucial ninth spot, which gives access to the Eredivisie's play-offs for a spot in the UEFA Conference League qualifying cycle. With 39 points, Sparta are currently one point off with one game to go.
FC Twente - AZ Alkmaar: 2-3
One of the more interesting matchups was between fifth-placed FC Twente and sixth-placed AZ in Enschede. The visitors came out on top in what could be a future match-up in the play-offs for European football: 3-2.
Ruben van Bommel, son of former Bayern Munich, AC Milan, and FC Barcelona midfielder Mark van Bommel, opened the scoring three minutes in with a clever finish after escaping from Indonesian international Mees Hilgers.
Former Norwich City and Sporting Portugal striker Ricky van Wolfswinkel pounced back for the home side with a clinical strike, after which team-mate Michel Vlap gave Twente their first lead of the evening with a near-carbon copy of Van Wolfswinkel's equaliser.
A giant blunder from Twente stopper Lars Unnerstall got AZ alongside on the brink of half-time thanks to Sven Mijnans. Almost half an hour after the break, Denzo Kasius expertly decided the game in AZ's favour with a controlled finish from a Sven Mijnans free-kick.
The win earned AZ the fifth spot and virtual home advantage for the play-offs, which will begin next week.
Go Ahead Eagles - sc Heerenveen: 1-0
KNVB Beker winners Go Ahead Eagles struggled following their famous cup victory, but finally got back to winning ways after beating sc Heerenveen 1-0.
A tame first half saw Heerenveen create the most opportunities. However, the home side pounced back after the break and dominated the game.
As the clock ticked and neared the 90th minute, Mathis Suray liberated the home crowd with a calmly finished 89th-minute winner. The dramatic loss puts Heerenveen's claim to the ninth spot at risk as four teams chase the Frisian side's crucial position in the Eredivisie table.
NEC Nijmegen - NAC Breda: 3-0
A world-class goal from veteran Bryan Linssen highlighted NEC's fabulous 3-0 win over NAC.
French full-back Brayann Pereira scored in a second-straight game as he opened the score 31 minutes in with an easy tap-in. Former Feyenoord and Urawa Red Diamonds striker Bryan Linssen then doubled the lead in the 67th minute before unleashing a world-class strike from his own half and putting his side up 3-0 after 70 minutes.
Partly thanks to Linssen's worldie, NEC lead the charge for one of the last two remaining play-off tickets with 40 points and a positive goal difference of +4.
Almere City FC - Fortuna Sittard: 1-1
After their first two seasons in the highest tier of Dutch football, Almere City were officially relegated after a 1-1 draw with Fortuna Sittard.
The visitors, who on Tuesday shared shocking news and announced they would not participate in this year's play-offs after not being granted a UEFA licence, quickly conceded the first goal of the game as the Greek-French connection between Vasilios Zalgaritis and Junior Kadile earned Almere City the lead after 14 minutes.
The home side, who'd be relegated with a draw or loss on Wednesday, could not hang on to their lead when Bojan Radulovic scored the equaliser after 79 minutes and sealed Almere City's fate.
Almere City FC, who became the first team from the province of Flevoland to appear in the Eredivisie when they clinched promotion in 2023, will play their final game of the season away at AZ. Meanwhile, Fortuna, who have nothing to play for after Tuesday's news, host FC Utrecht for their final game of the season.
Willem II - PEC Zwolle: 1-2
A draw would've secured a spot in the relegation play-offs for Willem II, but their 2-1 home loss to PEC Zwolle means RKC Waalwijk are not officially relegated yet.
Things started off badly for the home side when Younes Namli scored in his third game in a row and opened the scoring after 26 minutes. Jesse Bosch got Willem II back in business in the 72nd minute, but Eliano Reijnders, brother of AC Milan midfielder Tijjani Reijnders, decided the game in PEC Zwolle's favour with a skillful goal.
PEC Zwolle's win in Tilburg means they're now at 38 points and, along with NEC, Heerenveen, Sparta Rotterdam, FC Groningen, and Heracles Almelo, are in the mix for the European play-offs.
FC Groningen - Ajax: 2-2
A last-gasp equaliser earned FC Groningen a crucial point and cost Ajax the league lead ahead of the final weekend of the season. Read our full match report on FC Groningen - Ajax here.
PSV - Heracles Almelo: 4-1
A comfortable and record-breaking win propelled PSV to the top spot and put them in line for a second consecutive league title. Read our full match report on PSV - Heracles Almelo here.
Feyenoord - RKC Waalwijk: 2-0
A comfortable night in Rotterdam secured Feyenoord the third spot and thus a spot in the third round of UEFA Champions League qualifying. Read our full match report on Feyenoord - RKC Waalwijk here.
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