Ajax won their third league match in a row after the winter break on Saturday. John van 't Schip's side defeated Heracles Almelo 2-4. With the victory, Ajax increased the pressure on FC Twente and AZ, who are third and fourth in the league table. Third place would qualify them to participate in the preliminary rounds of the Champions League next season. FC Twente, who visit Feyenoord on Sunday, has 3 points more. AZ is now closest to Ajax in points but still has the match against SC Heerenveen (also on Sunday) to play.
FC Twente lost on Saturday to NEC Nijmegen in the Eredvisie. A goal from Calvin Verdonk continued the home side's good form after the winter break. Rogier Meijer's side had drawn 2-2 in de Kuip against Feyenoord last weekend. Koki Ogawa had gotten away from the Twente defence several times as Joseph Oosting's side struggled to create any meaningful offense. Verdonk's winner was a beauty a free kick from around thirty yards, which went straight into the top corner. Lars Unnerstall had no chance with his dive.
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 defeated AEK Athens 3-1 in the Johan Cruijff Arena on Thursday to qualify for the next round of the Conference League. The Amsterdammers needed to beat AEK to finish third in their Europa League group, which they did due to goals from Chuba Akpom and Kenneth Taylor. Ajax was missing two of their most experienced players, Steven Berghuis and captain Steven Bergwijn. Berghuis was suspended after getting sent off in the last European match against Olympique Marseille. Bergwijn is injured. Chuba Akpom and Carlos Forbs replaced them.
Ajax beat Sparta Rotterdam on Saturday to extend their unbeaten run in the Eredivisie to seven games. Brian Brobbey and a penalty from Steven Bergwijn gave the Amsterdammers a 2-1 win. They have now climbed to fifth in the table. The home side took the lead after seven minutes. Kristian Hlynsson played the ball to Kenneth Taylor, who had overlapped him. The young midfielder backheeled it into the box to Brian Brobbey, who spun his defender before scoring from close range. It was the 21-year-old’s sixth goal in the league this campaign.