The Eredivisie came back like it’d never been away after the first international break of the season. With 29 goals and some massive flashpoints, the fifth matchweek certainly didn’t disappoint.

Saturday special: PSV win classic against NEC Nijmegen, Feyenoord continue at the top of the table

Split over two days instead of the usual three, matchweek five got underway with Ajax welcoming PEC Zwolle to Amsterdam. The hosts at the Johan Cruyff Arena prevailed 3-1 with a consummate performance that was kicked off by Davy Klaassen’s lovely dinked opener after a Mika Godts pass in the 18th minute.

Godts then firmly moved into the spotlight with a goal before the break. Chasing a fine pass on the left, he wrestled past his marker before opening his body and slotting into the bottom-right corner with aplomb. After the break, a tense spell saw PEC look promising, and in the 69th minute, they grabbed one back with Kai de Rooij.

However, Ajax sealed a more comfortable-looking score line with Godts’ second goal late on. The young Belgian brought down a superb Anton Gaaei long ball and side-footed the ball past Tom de Graaff effortlessly.

Saturday’s second match saw early-season wonders NEC Nijmegen get grounded by PSV in a true Eredivisie goal fest. Ricardo Pepi’s swivelling shot into the bottom left saw the visitors at the Goffertstadion hit the front in the 12th minute. A blitzing PSV counterattack just before the half hour then saw the lead double, as Ruben van Bommel surged through on goal before rounding Gonzalo Crettaz smartly.

PSV’s two-goal deficit didn’t last long, as NEC responded practically from the restart. Nijmegen flew forward, and Bryan Linssen poked through Virgil Misidjan to slot into the bottom-right corner. Just as a competitive clash looked to take hold, PSV instantly made it 3-1 in this topsy-turvy game, as Joey Veerman lasered a fine long-range strike into the top left.

Pepi grabbed his second goal right after the break with a deft header, before El Kachati slammed a low, emphatic drive in for 4-2 in the 53rd minute. NEC had a comeback on the brain as Tjaronn Chery slotted past Matej Kovar in the 69th minute. However, Myron Boadu’s diving header on 72′ quickly reasserted PSV’s scoring strength.

After the visitors were lucky not to be down to 10 in the 80th minute, they were even more fortunate not to see their advantage get slimmer on 86′ as Chery slammed a late penalty onto the crossbar after Kovar brought down Vito van Crooij.

FC Volendam’s run of four consecutive draws was ended this weekend, as they were dispatched 3-0 by a solid Go Ahead Eagles performance away at De Adelaarshorst.

Jacob Breum got the hosts off to a flying start in the fifth minute, as he nodded in an oh-so tempting Joris Kramer cross from the left. Victor Edvardsen then quickly made it 2-0 five minutes later. He raced onto an initial Kayne van Oevelen from a Breum effort, and slammed the ball home.

Such was the momentum in Deventer, the game was wrapped up before the interval as Mathis Suray made it three. He chased down a Breum pass through and shot past Van Oevelen at the second time of asking from a tight angle on the left.

Rotterdam hosted an exciting fixture with an uncharacteristically meagre score on Saturday evening. Feyenoord just about squeezed past Heerenveen with a 1-0 victory at De Kuip, yet had to do so with both sides seeing red.

Ayase Ueda thought he’d given the hosts the lead inside the first five minutes, as he capped off a determined Sem Steijn-powered move. However, the in-form man’s finish was ruled out for offside on Anis Hadj Moussa’s run and ball across from the right. After this, both Hadj Moussa and then Ueda stung the gloves of young Bernt Klaverboer, before the skilful Algerian winger broke the deadlock on 42′. He latched onto a smart Givairo Read flick from a Luciano Valente pass before curling a great low effort inside the left post.

At the end of the half, Feyenoord had another goal disallowed for offside. This time, Hadj Moussa’s showboating kick-ups and cross combo from the right were unfortunately struck from the record as Leo Sauer slid in at the back post.

Trends continued in the second period, as Klaverboer made a mark with some more solid stops. However, Hadj Moussa went from hero to zero, as a nasty challenge on Vasilios Zagaritis’ ankle saw the winger get a red card after VAR analysis. The game ended with Heerenveen also down to 10. Hristiyan Petrov was dismissed in the 72nd minute with a second yellow card, seemingly arriving for dissent after a foul.

Saturday’s final clash saw NAC Breda grab a late goal to draw 2-2 against FC Twente at De Grolsch Veste. The visitors started brilliantly with Mohamed Nassoh’s third-minute poke home following Charles-Andreas Brym’s determined scrapping in the box from a corner on the left.

Despite a late flurry of first-half action, Twente were behind until a reshuffle from the bench provided a fresher outlook in the second 45. Marko Pjaca restored parity with a great finish from a tight angle on the left off the inside of the right post.

Twente were admittedly in the driving seat for much of the game after this, yet couldn’t break through until a penalty went their way after VAR intervention deemed Juho Talvitie’s challenge on Daouda Weidmann enough for a spot kick. Ricky van Wolfswinkel slotted home from 12 yards in the 87th minute, yet Breda kept fighting. Boy Kemper worked well down the left and crossed for Raul Paula to volley in in the 91st minute.

Super Sunday: Sparta beat Excelsior, Telstar fall to Fortuna Sittard

Sparta Rotterdam suppressed their South Rotterdam rivals Excelsior on Sunday, winning 1-0 away at Stadion Woudestein. In a relatively end-to-end fixture, both goalkeepers were worked well before the action culminated in a wild final 15 minutes.

First, Arthur Zagre received his marching orders after an earlier caution. On 78′, he chopped in on Ayoub Oufkir as he jinked inwards from the right wing.

Then, following the dismissal, the visitors kept driving forward, and Oufkir tapped home the winner as a Patrick van Arnholt cross trickled through a flailing Mike van Duinen and made its way to the back post.

After this fixture, Utrecht suffered the same score as Excelsior, as they hosted Groningen. Despite being without Brynjólfur Willumsson, the Pride of the North prevailed in a strong second half showing, and after intermittent Utrecht pressure.

The hosts just couldn’t get a breakthrough, and fans will be wary that keeper Vasilios Barkas had to be withdrawn for Michael Brouwer. That said, it’s questionable whether the Greek would’ve saved the go-ahead goal in the 70th minute.

Stije Resink lofted in a lovely ball from the left-centre, and Marco Rente darted in to nod into the left side-netting, although he had to wait to celebrate as VAR checked the goal for offside.

AZ Alkmaar continued their unbeaten start to the Eredivisie season, as they beat Heracles Almelo 2-1 away from home to continue the Heraclieden’s own awful early-season form.

Alexandre Penetra grabbed the opener just nine minutes in. He was in the right place at the right time as Fabian de Keijzer parried a powerful Sven Mijnans drive from range, and tapped the ball in simply. Damon Mirani restored parity with a fine header from a right-sided Bryan Limbombe cross just before the half hour.

However, this would stand for very little in the end, as AZ made the most of some second period momentum to notch the winner in the 77th minute. Kees Smit crossed from the left, and Mexx Meerdink made the most of Troy Parrott’s absence to tap home confidently.

Fortuna Sittard got off to a flier in Sunday’s final game, as they hit the front just two minutes into their visit of of Telstar. Jasper Dahlhaus crossed well from the left, and Paul Gladon nodded down powerfully.

Jochem Ritmeester van de Kamp ended the half positively for the hosts, as he scored his first goal in his new colours. He took it smartly too, as Jeff Hardeveld pulled the ball back from the left byline, and his midfielder picked out the bottom-right corner with keeper Mattijs Branderhorst rooted.

After the break, Kay Tejan was unfortunate not to score in the 70th minute as Philip Brittijn cleared his second-chance effort off the line after a Branderhorst save. Fortuna then used this solid defending as a platform to push on from, with substitute Makan Aiko scoring a seven-minute brace. His first goal arrived in the 83rd minute after he connected with a low left-sided Dimitrios Limnios cross. Then, his second came just before the game’s end, as he chased down a misread Kaj Serhuis flick and found the bottom-left corner with aplomb.

League table after Matchweek 5

Top goalscorers after Matchweek 5

FotMob Team of the Week