Ajax lost to amateur team USV Hercules in the second round of the Dutch Cup, the KNVB Beker, on Thursday in one of the biggest shock results in Dutch football. The amateurs went 2-0 up before the Amsterdammers scored twice in the last ten minutes to level it before Mats Grotenberg scored a dramatic late winning goal in the 93rd minute. Ajax manager John Van't Schip rotated his side to give youngster Tristan Gooijer his first start and gave Georgian big-money signing Georges Mikautadze a rare start.
Ajax let a 2-0 lead slip to draw at home to PEC Zwolle on Sunday. Lennart Thy scored two goals, including an acrobatic equalizer in the 89th minute to earn Zwolle a draw in the Johan Cruijff arena. Brian Brobbey scored both goals for the Amsterdammers. Jorrel Hato had cleared an effort from PEC captain Bram van de Polen off the goalline before Ajax took the lead after 34 minutes played. Devyne Rensch crossed the ball across the box to Brobbey, who tapped it into the open goal. The linesman initially stuck his flag up for offside, but the goal was given after a VAR check.
Ajax picked up their biggest victory of the season in the Eredivisie on Saturday in the Johan Cruijff Arena. John van ’t Schip’s side beat Vitesse 5-0. Ajax climbed to eighth place because of the win. Edward Sturing was managing his first match for Vitesse. The ex-Vitesse player is the replacement for Phillip Cocu, who was sacked.