Sunday 17 January 2016 21:56, UK
Amin Younes scored the only goal of the game as Eredivisie leaders Ajax won 1-0 at ADO Den Haag in their first game of 2016.
Head coach Frank de Boer had warned his men to prepare for a "war" at the Kyocera Stadium in Sunday's lunchtime kick-off, as their domestic schedule resumed following the Christmas break.
However, it proved anything other than a battle, with a goal from German forward Younes midway through the first half settling the visitors and quieting the vocal home support.
Despite missing captain Davy Klaassen because of a knee injury and seeing goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen play on after taking a boot in the face from Den Haag striker Ruben Schaken, the Amsterdammers went on to close out what was in the end a comfortable victory, with substitute Anwar El Ghazi heading against the crossbar late on.
PSV Eindhoven remain in second place, three points behind, after they won 2-0 at Feyenoord, who lost further ground on the top two.
Defender Hector Moreno put Phillip Cocu's men ahead four minutes into the second half, with a late goal from substitute Luciano Narsingh making sure of all three points at De Kuip.
Elsewhere on Sunday, Utrecht won 4-1 at Groningen, inflicting a first league defeat of the season on the home side.
Bart Ramselaar headed the visitors in front in the 16th minute, before Norwegian forward Alexander Sorloth levelled 11 minutes later.
Utrecht regained the lead just after the restart with a free-kick from defender Timo Letschert, before quick goals by Chris Kum and Andreas Ludwig either side of the hour mark put the result beyond doubt.
German midfielder Ludwig was then sent off with 14 minutes left for collecting a second caution, but by then the result was never in danger.
At the Goffert Stadion, hosts NEC Nijmegen beat Willem II 1-0 with a first-half penalty from Christian Santos in the 20th minute.
The visitors finished with 10 men after defender Frank van der Struijk collected a late second yellow card.
