Ajax goes into the winter break with a hangover. The team from Amsterdam gave up a two-goal lead against PEC Zwolle: 2-2. Thanks to two goals from Brian Brobbey, the spoils seemed to have been won, but the visitors fought back. A striking bicycle kick by Lennart Thy plunged the Johan Cruijff Arena into mourning just before the end.
Ajax made a slow impression against the Zwolle team in the first half. The visitors were by far the most dangerous team. The biggest chance was for Poland’s captain Bram, as his effort was taken off the line. Ajax breathed a sigh of relief, but was unable to impose its will on PEC Zwolle.
Steven Berghuis returned to the starting line-up at Ajax. The winger was suspended against AEK Athens (3-1 win). Steven Bergwijn was still injured and he was replaced by Ar’Jany Martha. The match was led by assistant coach Michael Valkanis, because John van ‘t Schip is attending his son’s wedding in Australia.
Text continues below the X-post.
To view this content you must accept cookies.
Brobbey
Even though the crowd in the Johan Cruijff Arena started to grumble, Ajax took the lead ten minutes before half-time. Brian Brobbey tapped in from a low cross from Chuba Akpom and still had the crowd cheering. The linesman initially flagged it for offside, but due to VAR intervention the goal was still allowed: 1-0. Akpom thought he would head in the second just before half-time, but did so from an offside position.
Immediately after the break, Brobbey handed over his business card again. The striker, who has been harshly criticized in recent weeks, scored his second of the afternoon: 2-0. Brobbey therefore has eight goals this season and seems to be slowly dealing with the critics. In the 55th minute there was a nice applause from the Ajax supporters. The wife of head coach John van ‘t Schip died earlier this year at the age of 55 as a result of metastatic colon cancer. Despite the loss of his wife, Van ‘t Schip stepped in to help the ailing Ajax.
Text continues below the X-post.
To view this content you must accept cookies.
There seemed to be no problem after the break, but Lennart Thy scored the tying goal in the 60th minute. The PEC striker saw his effort plopped into the goal via Jorrel Hato’s leg over Ramaj. Steven Berghuis should have ended the game fifteen minutes before the end, but he missed from a few meters because he did not count on a low cross. In the 87th minute Ajax was defeated. Thy shot the 2-2 with a beautiful bicycle kick against the ropes and plunged the Arena into mourning.
Text continues below the X-post.
To view this content you must accept cookies.
Ajax ends the year as number five in the Premier League. The Amsterdam team will play against Hercules in the cup next Thursday. That match is also led by assistant coach Valkanis.
Ajax line-up: Ramaj, Rensch, Sutalo, Hato, Sosa (Hlynsson/46), Tahirovic, Taylor (Gaaei/80), Akpom, Berghuis, Brobbey (Forbs/70), Martha