Weak Ajax wins against Emmen, but Alvarez loses in the run-up to the top match

On the way to the probably decisive match for second place (PSV – Ajax next week) it was important to beat FC Emmen today. PSV won 2-3 against FC Volendam earlier today, so Ajax could only go ahead with the goal difference. The team of coach John Heitinga did that again with Florian Grillitsch in the base. 17-year-old Jorrel Hato made his basic debut at left back.

At 20:00 kicked off in the Johan Cruijff Arena. In the third minute FC Emmen got the first chance and a pretty big one too. But ex-Ajax player Zivkovic missed face to face with Rulli. Or rather: the Argentinian goalkeeper made a good save. Moments later, Emmen also got the first corner. Not a good start for the Amsterdammers. Timber got the first big chance for Ajax in the 12th minute, but Van der Hart (also ex-Ajax) had a nice reflex in store. Ajax then got into the match a bit better and shot more at the Emmen goal.

The insistence paid off in the 22nd minute. Berghuis kicked a corner in the penalty area and the ball stuck with Alvarez. Via the Mexican, the ball ended up with his compatriot Sanchez, who slid in dry: 1-0. But in the ten minutes that followed, almost nothing happened. Except that Alvarez got yellow and he will not be there in the important match against PSV next week because of a suspension. Easily given by Nagtegaal, another referee product of the KNVB. Moments later it was still 2-0. Sanchez, again he, continued well, passed and Bergwijn tapped in. The three points seemed to be in. Not much happened before rest.

Brobbey warmed up, but Heitinga didn’t make any substitutions yet. So the second half started with two teams unchanged. Ajax continued without playing well and that resulted in great opportunities for Bergwijn and Taylor. But shortly afterwards it was Emmen that scored in the 58th minute. Antonisse headed in well, Sanchez was too late and it was 2-1. Then Heitinga intervened and the trainer brought Brobbey anyway. Bergwijn was the victim of the substitution. Brobbey then had a good chance, but his shot missed the target.

The game didn’t get any better in the last quarter. Heitinga made another substitution and this time he brought in Baas and Conceicao (71st minute). Hato and Taylor had to leave the field. Brobbey shot on target again, but Van der Hart saved again. Emmen insisted and wanted to force the 2-2 and got a corner, but it was deflected and Ajax countered. Conceicao continued well and saw Tadic standing free. The Serbian finished cold-blooded: 3-1. That was it. A bad pot and Ajax will miss Alvarez enormously in Eindhoven. But ten yellow cards in a season is too much, but it is a record because an Ajax player has never collected so many prints in 1 season.

Start: 8 p.m. – Referee: Nightingale

Scoring progression:

1-0, Sanchez (22)

2-0, Bergwijn (36)

2-1, Anthony (58)

3-1, Tadic (80)

Ajax: Rulli; Sánchez (Reign/89), Timber, Álvarez (Yellow), Hato (Bass/71); Grillitsch, Klaassen (Vos/89), Taylor (yellow) (Conceicao/71); Berghuis, Tadic, Bergwijn (Brobbey/61).

Substitutes Ajax: Stekelenburg, Pasveer, Bassey, Wijndal, Boss, Regeer, Fitz-Jim, Godts, Vos, Lucca, Conceição, Brobbey.

FC Emmen: Van der Hart; Te Wierik, Araujo (yellow), Dirksen, Burnet (Bouchouari/68); Romeny, Veendorp (Asehnoun/85), Diemers, El Messaoudi (Bernadou/85); Antonisse (Darfalou/76), Zivkovic (Flat/85).

Switches FC Emmen: Assehnoun, Bernadou, Bouchouari, Darfalou, Heylen, Luzayadio, Oelschlägel, Toufiqui, Vlak, Vos, Van Dorp.