Eindhoven, Netherlands (My Sportsbook) - PSV Eindhoven boosted its European hopes on Saturday with a comfortable 2-0 win over Vitesse at Philips Stadion.

Ibrahim Afelley put the hosts in front after 24 minutes and Ola Toivonen added a second with 20 minutes to play, helping PSV close the gap on fourth-placed Heerenveen to five points.

Vitesse remains in 11th place with the loss, seven points clear of the bottom three.

Balazs Dzsudzsak had two good chances to put PSV ahead as his effort from six yards clipped the post in the 15th minute, and his powerful shot from 35 yards was stopped by Vitesse goalkeeper Piet Velthuizen.

The keeper was not able to prevent the ball from crossing the line six minutes later, however, as Otman Bakkal's cross was met at the far post by the head of Afelley, who nodded it into the chest of the keeper, forcing him to fall back across the goal line with the ball.

It was a bit of good fortune for PSV, but they nearly conceded the equalizer before halftime as Lasse Nilsson made a good run from midfield to the top of the box, only to fire inches past the post.

The hosts could have added a second goal shortly after the break as Toivonen watched his shot from 20 yards come back off the post, but the Swedish midfielder did find the net from six yards in the 70th minute to put the result out of reach.

Also on Saturday, Sparta moved four points clear of the bottom three with a 1-0 win over 10-man Heracles. Mark Looms was sent off in the 46th minute, and Sparta's Edouard Duplan made the advantage count with a goal three minutes later, while NEC and Willem II finished 0-0.