Decisive figure thwarts Groningen for Go Ahead Eagles | OneFootball

Jari de Busser set the tone in the 12th minute with a low stop and went on to anchor Go Ahead Eagles' 0-0 at Groningen.

He followed up by pushing away David van der Werff's header (35.). Moments later, he smothered a close range effort from Tika de Jonge to keep the hosts at arm's length.

After the restart he blocked Travis Hernes from the centre of the box (63.). He then stood tall to claim Thom van Bergen's header under the bar (67.).

De Busser finished with five saves, four from inside the box, as Groningen launched 24 attempts. That workload, plus one high claim, underlined how his positioning and handling took the sting out of repeated crosses and central shots.

Because the Supereagles' shape protected the six yard area and their goalkeeper set early, he was able to read angles on headers and long range efforts, repeatedly resetting pressure and preserving the point.

The Supereagles host AZ next in the Eredivisie. Groningen visit Feyenoord.