Striker Brian Brobbey is rented by Ajax from RB Leipzig in the second half of the season. Certainly in January he has to replace top scorer Sébastien Haller, as long as he plays in the Africa Cup with Ivory Coast. Brobbey’s return became a dream scenario; partly due to his two goals, Ajax won 0-3 against FC Utrecht.
In addition to Brobbey, Noussair Mazraoui and Lisandro Martínez returned to the starting line-up of the team from Amsterdam. In the initial phase, Ajax was much stronger than the home team and that led to a goal after five minutes. Antony shot the ball behind debuting goalkeeper Fabian de Keijzer. The attacking drive had not stopped after this, because Dusan Tadic (post) and Ryan Gravenberch could have expanded the margin in the first ten minutes.
Within twenty minutes, Ajax’s margin was doubled. On a pass from Tadic, Brobbey could simply head the ball into the goal: 0-2. The mercenary seemed to feel right at home in the point of attack. That was confirmed again just before half-time, when Brobbey scored again on Tadic’s pass: 0-3. The weak Utrecht could do almost nothing against Ajax. The first big chance was for Anastasios Douvikas, the striker headed the ball over the goal from close range.
Watch Brobbey’s first goal on his return below.
As dazzling as the team from Amsterdam showed up in the second half, the match was dull after the break. Ajax no longer needed and FC Utrecht couldn’t really make it difficult for the visitors. Daley Blind (ball off the line) and Antony (ball next to the goal) provided some pinpricks on the Ajax side. The seventeen-year-old Amourricho of Axel Dongen was allowed to make his debut in the final phase, after the game had already been played long and wide.
After the simple victory, Erik ten Hag’s team can follow the PSV match in peace. The people of Eindhoven will play against FC Groningen from 2.30 pm, if they win, PSV will remain the leader in the Eredivisie. Next Thursday Ajax will play in the eighth final of the KNVB Cup against Excelsior Maassluis.
Ajax setup: feather; Mazraoui, Timber, Martínez (Schuurs/70), Blind (Tagliafico/83); Álvarez, Gravenberch (Taylor/70), Berghuis; Antony (Van Axel Dongen/85), Brobbey (Klaassen/70), Tadic