CAEN (France): Monaco’s Geoffrey Kondogbia (C) vies for the ball with Caen’s Julien Feret during their Ligue 1 match.—AFP

AMSTERDAM: PSV Eindhoven beat PEC Zwolle 3-1 on Friday to move within touching distance of their first Eredivisie title since 2008.

The victory means PSV could become the Dutch league champions on Saturday for the 22nd time if defending champions Ajax lose at Heracles Almelo.

Captain Georginio Wijnaldum gave PSV the lead in the 12th minute converting Luciano Narsingh’s cross. Maikel van der Werff equalised for Zwolle from a 34th minute corner before defender Joshua Brenet restored PSV’s lead with a spectacular strike five minutes after the break, controlling the ball on his knee before volleying it past Warner Hahn in the Zwolle goal.

Striker Luuk de Jong sealed victory deep in extra time.

PSV, who won four straight league titles from 2005-2008, lead second-placed Ajax by 13 points.

MONACO GO THIRD

PARIS: Monaco warmed up for their Champions League trip to Juventus with a 3-0 win at Caen on Friday to go third in the Ligue 1 standings but lost captain Jeremy Toulalan to a thigh injury.

Forward Anthony Martial gave Monaco a first-half lead and midfielder Bernardo Silva netted a double after the break to put Monaco on 58 points from 32 games, four points adrift of leaders Paris St Germain who have a game in hand.

Monaco travel to Juventus for the first leg of their quarter-final on Tuesday in solid form, having conceded only two goals in their last four matches.

They will possibly be without midfielder Toulalan, however, as the captain was replaced by Fabinho five minutes into the second half with a suspected left thigh injury.

Martial scored his sixth goal from his last six appearances with a shot from inside the box after being set up by Yannick Ferreira Carrasco’s pass in the 29th minute.

Silva doubled the tally with a low shot in the 64th minute and he wrapped it up six minutes from time from close range after being set up by Martial.

Caen stay 12th on 38 points.

HANNOVER HELD BY HERTHA BERLIN

FRANKFURT: Valentin Stocker scored seven minutes from time to earn Hertha Berlin a 1-1 draw at Hannover in the Bundesliga on Friday.

Stocker’s goal canceled out Christian Schulz’s 75th-minute strike for Hannover, who remained winless in 12 matches. The draw did little to reduce Hannover’s relegation worries, while improving Berlin’s position.

Berlin are unbeaten in six matches under new coach Pal Dardai.

Schulz scored after a corner from Hiroshi Kiyotake. Salif Sane’s effort was blocked but Schulz prodded the rebound home.

Stocker equalized with a spectacular left-foot volley from the edge of the penalty area after a free-kick was headed his way by Hannover’s defender Marcelo.

Hannover’s Lars Stindl hit the post early in the second half in a match that saw few clear chances.

Published in Dawn, April 12th, 2015

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