AMSTERDAM – Luuk de Jong scored three goals as FC Twente beat FC Groningen 4-1 Sunday to move second in the Dutch league.
De Jong put Steve McClaren’s Twente ahead in the 14th, heading Ola John’s cross from the left. He then converted another cross from John in the 23rd and completed his hat trick in the 58th with another header — again set up by John.
De Jong then provided the cross headed in by midfielder Leroy Fer in the 66th as McClaren earned his second straight win since returning to Twente during the Christmas break.
Twente has 39 points, two behind new leader PSV Eindhoven, which beat Vitesse Arnhem 3-1 Friday. AZ Alkmaar lost 2-0 at Roda JC to drop to third.
John Guidetti also got a hat trick Sunday to guide Feyenoord to a 4-2 win over Ajax.
Christian Eriksen fired Ajax in front with a long range shot after 18 minutes but Feyenoord levelled in the 30th as Guidetti converted a penalty awarded after Ajax captain Jan Vertongen fouled the Sweden forward in the area.
Guidetti added a close range strike 11 minutes later before Otman Bakkal made it 3-1 to Feyenoord in the 50th after meeting Guyon Fernandez’s defence-splitting pass.
Substitute Dmitri Bulykin reduced Feyenoord’s lead in the 80th, capitalizing on a goalkeeping blunder by Erwin Mulder.
But Guidetti put the scoreline beyond Ajax’s reach when he slid in a low pass from Kamohelo Mokotjo two minutes later.
In other games Sunday, it was: RKC Waalwijk 4, VVV Venlo 0; and NEC Nijmegen 2, ADO The Hague 0.
On Saturday, it was: SC Heerenveen 2, FC Utrecht 0; NAC Breda 1, De Graafschap 1; and Heracles Almelo 3, Excelsior Rotterdam 0.
