Twente hammer Groningen to stay top

Twente Enschede hammered 10-man Groningen 4-0 to stay top of the Dutch league on Sunday after their shock midweek Europa League loss in Moldova.

Early goals by Miroslav Stoch and Dwight Tiendalli put Steve McClaren's men ahead before Groningen goalkeeper Brian van Loo was sent off for fouling Blaise Nkufo on the hour.

The Switzerland striker converted the penalty himself and Costa Rica forward Bryan Ruiz added a fourth for the home side after 80 minutes.

Nkufo and Ruiz both took their tallies to seven this season.

Twente, beaten 2-0 by Moldovan champions Sheriff Tiraspol on Thursday, are top with 29 points from 11 matches, two more then PSV Eindhoven who won by the same score at NEC Nijmegen.

Ajax Amsterdam, a further point behind in third, got three second-half goals in eight minutes to win 4-2 at AZ Alkmaar.

Alkmaar went ahead through Mounir El Hamdaoui after 28 minutes.

Urby Emanuelson equalised when he surprised goalkeeper Sergio Romero from 30 metres before Uruguay forward Luis Suarez, with a double, and Gregory van der Wiel sealed the win.

Suarez, the league's top scorer, took his total to 15.