Top sides PSV Eindhoven and AZ Alkmaar both suffered shock defeats in the Eredivisie on Sunday, while Ajax were victorious.
Groningen moved into eighth after a surprisingly comfortable 3-0 win over Fred Rutten's top-of-the-table PSV.
A brace from South Korean forward Suk Hyun-Jun and a Leandro Bacuna goal helped Groningen to the convincing home win.
The hosts took a 29th-minute lead when Suk played a one-two with Petter Andersson before striking into the bottom corner from a narrow angle.
A superb counter-attack had them 2-0 up, with Bacuna placing home from the edge of the area after a neat Dusan Tadic pass.
PSV's hopes of getting anything out of the encounter took a blow just before the hour-mark when Bulgarian Stanislav Manolev was adjudged to have dived and consequently given his second yellow card.
Groningen wrapped up their win when PSV goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson only partially cleared a weak Zakaria Labyad back pass and Suk lobbed the shot-stopper from distance.
But PSV remain top after AZ Alkmaar, who are second on goal difference, suffered a 3-0 defeat at Utrecht.
Alexander Gerndt struck from the penalty spot after Niklas Moisander was sent off on 15 minutes, before the Swedish attacker netted a second.
Edouard Duplan made it 3-0 after 41 minutes, putting an end to the contest before the half-time break.
A comfortable 4-1 win over NEC Nijmegen sent Ajax into fifth spot.
Dmitri Bulykin hit a first-half brace as Jan Vertonghen and Siem de Jong also got on the scoresheet at Amsterdam Arena.
Rens van Eijden struck a 69th-minute consolation goal for the visitors, who are just four points clear of the relegation playoff spots.
Elsewhere, Twente crushed Vitesse 4-1 with Leroy Fer, Luuk de Jong, Ola John and Nacer Chadli all netting.
Twente had Peter Wisgerhof sent off after 80 minutes with Wilfried Bony missing a spot-kick for Vitesse, who pulled a goal back late in the encounter courtesy of substitute Mike Havenaar.
0 - 1 |
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0 - 2 |
65' L. de Jong
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0 - 3 |
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0 - 4 |
83' N. Chadli
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1 - 4 |
| # | Player | Bookings |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | P. Velthuizen | |
| 16 | M. Yasuda | |
| 37 | G. Kashia | |
| 15 |
P. van Aanholt
|
|
| 2 | T. Kalas | |
| 7 | N. Hofs |
 42'
|
| 4 | J. van der Heijden | |
| 5 | A. Büttner | |
| 30 | R. Ibarra |
51'
|
| 8 | M. van Ginkel | |
| 9 | W. Bony |
 81'
|
| Coach: J. van den Brom | ||
| # | Player | Bookings |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | N. Mihaylov | |
| 4 | P. Wisgerhof |
 80'
|
| 2 | T. Cornelisse |
42'
|
| 15 | R. Rosales | |
| 19 | Douglas | |
| 6 | W. Brama | |
| 14 |
W. Janssen
|
16'
|
| 8 | L. Fer |
 6'
|
| 22 |
N. Chadli
|
83'
|
| 9 | L. de Jong |
65'
|
| 24 |
O. John
|
73'
|
| Coach: S. McClaren | ||
| # | Player | Bookings |
|---|---|---|
| 14 |
for P. van Aanholt 73' |
88'
|
| 1 | ||
| 6 | ||
| 18 | ||
| 19 | ||
| 23 | ||
| 24 |
| # | Player | Bookings |
|---|---|---|
| 5 |
for O. John 82' |
|
| 10 |
for N. Chadli 90' |
|
| 31 |
for W. Janssen 90+2' |
|
| 1 | ||
| 11 | ||
| 18 | ||
| 26 |
