Ajax can no longer recover from a dramatic start against FC Twente

Ajax did not start sharply, as Manfred Ugalde appeared for Jay Gorter in no time. The goalkeeper was able to save this ball. The ball was in the net for seven minutes after a goal by Daan Rots. Things went from bad to worse when Sem Steijn made it even more painful for Ajax and made it 2-0. It was significant that since October 2008 Ajax had not started a Premier League match so badly. At the time, the score was already 2-0 after eight minutes. Even after the dramatic start, things did not go better for Ajax.

The biggest chance for FC Twente ended up on the crossbar via Steijn. He could have hurt his father Maurice even more. Completely out of nowhere, Brian Brobbey tapped a cross from Borna Sosa behind goalkeeper Lars Unnerstall: 2-1. Brobbey had already had an opportunity in the opening minutes, but that turned out to be just a blank. Twente thought they would get a penalty via Michel Vlap after a foul by Benjamin Tahirovic. Danny Makkelie didn’t see anything in it and let it go.

Text continues below the tweet.

As bad as Ajax started the first half, it also started the second half. Vlap almost immediately got a chance and found Gorter on his way. Moments later it was Ugalde who killed a huge opportunity. Remarkably, it seemed as if the Amsterdammers were dead and buried. Nevertheless, Ajax pressed more and more after this, but Twente was still dangerous on the other side. All Amsterdam’s hopes were dashed in the final phase.

It was Naci Ünüvar, of all people, who signed Ajax’s death warrant. He came on and shot behind Gorter: 3-1. Due to the painful defeat of the team from Amsterdam, they drop to twelfth place with five points from four games. It promises to be a difficult week for Ajax in the current form. The European campaign starts midweek against Olympique Marseille, after which Feyenoord is the opponent next week.

Ajax line-up: Gorter; Rensch (Gaaei/46), Sutalo, Hato, Sosa; Mannsverk (Taylor/46), Tahirovic (Van den Boomen/76), Akpom (Mikautadze/64); Berghuis (Borges/76), Brobbey, Bergwijn