Ajax 1-1 FC Volendam: Ajax did not win in the Eredivisie for the seventh time in a row on Thursday evening. For a moment it seemed that FC Volendam would win in the Johan Cruijff Arena. The team from Amsterdam was spared that, but nevertheless the pressure on Alfred Schreuder increased even further after the 1-1 draw.
After all, Ajax did not create many great opportunities. Volendam had not come to the Johan Cruijff Arena to play football and defended grouped for their own goal. The home team only managed to play football through its dribs and drabs. Brian Brobbey, for example, headed straight at goalkeeper Filip Stankovic from a cross by Steven Bergwijn, who, like Brobbey, had returned to the starting line-up. A promising action by Bergwijn smothered.
For example, Bergwijn asserted himself in the base on his return, but without result. Edson Álvarez was the most dangerous with a header from a corner, but Stankovic made an excellent save on his bet. Just before the break, Davy Klaassen was able to shoot in from close range, but the ball was removed from the goal line. Just like in the first phase after the break, the ball didn’t want to go in when Stankovic saved on a shot by Steven Berghuis and Klaassen’s rebound was blocked by a defender.
The goals
Ajax then increased the pressure further, but Volendam kept the road to the goal closed with all his might and caused an unexpected turn fifteen minutes after the break. The team of coach Wim Jonk had then hardly created any danger for the Amsterdam goal, but opened the score with the first goal attempt. From a free kick by former Ajax player Carel Eiting, defender Damon Mirani, also an old acquaintance in Amsterdam, hit the far post.
That unexpected goal hit De Arena like a hammer blow and it took a while for Ajax to recover from it. Schreuder immediately brought in two fresh attacking forces with Francisco Conceição and Mohammed Kudus and also added Lorenzo Lucca fifteen minutes before the end. It was the Italian striker who was at the basis of the equalizer. Kudus completed the 1-1 against the ropes from his header.
A misunderstanding between goalkeeper Gerónimo Rulli and Álvarez almost immediately led to a backlog, but substitute Henk Veerman was unable to punish it. The fans of Ajax then stood behind their team to shout them to victory, but it never came.
