Alkmaar, Netherlands (My Sportsbook) - Mounir El Hamdaoui scored his 14th goal and AZ defeated Heracles 2-0 on Saturday to open a five-point lead in the Dutch Eredivisie.

AZ entered the week with a three-point advantage on Ajax, which plays Sunday, and pulled six points in front of the Amsterdam club. Twente also won Saturday to move up to second, and sits five points behind AZ.

Ari scored in the 19th minute at Almaarderhout Stadium and Hamdaoui added his league-leading 14th in the 85th to clinch the win.

AZ took another key step toward its first lead title since 1980-81, and ending a 27-year run where Ajax, PSV and Feyenoord are the only teams to win the Dutch Eredivisie title. Those three clubs have won 43 of the last 44 crowns.

Twente got a pair of goals from Blaise N'Kufo in a 6-2 win over Sparta to stay within five points of the leaders.

Four-time defending champion PSV got two goals from both Otman Bakkal and Danko Lazovic in the second half to defeat Groningen 4-2 and remain seven back, and Jeanvion Yulu-Matondo, Willem Janssen and Anouar Hadouir scored in Roda's 3-0 win over Vitesse in a battle of bottom-half teams.

On Sunday, Volendam hosts Ajax, Willem II hosts Heerenveen, Feyenoord hosts Graafschap, NEC hosts Utrecht and NAC hosts Den Haag.