Ajax suffered a setback in the race for the Eredivisie title with a goalless draw at home to rivals Feyenoord this afternoon.

Chances were hard to come by during a cagey first half as both sides struggled for inspiration in the final third.

However, the visitors had a glorious opportunity to take the lead on 18 minutes when Colin Kazim-Richards was denied by the feet of Jasper Cillessen following a scramble in the box.

With Ajax failing to get into their groove, Feyenoord came close again seven minutes before the break as Jordy Clasie's effort was headed off the line by Arkadiusz Milik.

The two teams jostled for supremacy in the opening stages of the second period, though it was Feyenoord who still looked the more likely to find the breakthrough.

A mistake on the edge of his own penalty area from Ajax defender Nicolai Boilesen almost allowed Kazim-Richards the chance to find the net, but the striker was closed down before he could get his shot away.

Kazim-Richards was in the thick of the action again on 76 minutes when he inadvertently got in the way of Jean-Paul Boetius's goal-bound header, while Jens Toornstra headed straight at Cillessen soon after.

The away side continued to push for a winning goal during the final minutes of the match, but they were unable to get past the Ajax defence.