PSV are seven points clear of Ajax in second and the Amsterdammers welcome eighth-placed Heerenveen to the Amsterdam ArenA.

Second-bottom Excelsior will be hoping for a PSV win at the Philips Stadion and a victory for themselves against 12th-placed Vitesse Arnhem.

If results go Excelsior's way they could find themselves out of the bottom three, but they have not won in the league since they thrashed Heracles 6-1 on November 25.

Third-placed AZ Alkmaar go to FC Utrecht's Nieuwe Galgenwaard stadium hoping to keep their six-game unbeaten run going and remain in touch with Ajax as the race for European spots hots up.

Twente Enschede are sitting pretty in fourth, eight points clear of fifth, and visit 11th-placed NEC Nijmegen on Friday.

Fred Rutten's Twente side are unbeaten in their last six games, although Nijmegen have not lost at home since December 27.

Feyenoord will be hoping to keep the gap between them and sixth-placed NAC Breda to at least five points.

Feyenoord, whose away form has kept them from being a part of the title race, meet Roda JC, who are in seventh and also pushing for a Champions League play-off place.

Breda travel to FC Groningen on Saturday, with both sides chasing a European spot for next season.

Rock-bottom ADO Den Haag are away to fellow strugglers Heracles and the five-point gap between the two would be more than halved with a win, which would be their first since December 16.

Some comfort for the travelling capital club, though, is that Heracles have not won at home since November 17.