NOS Football•
View the summary of NEC – Ajax
The ‘topper’ in the Premier League between NEC and Ajax ended in a draw. But that doesn’t mean it was boring. The match between numbers three and four contained beautiful football, huge mistakes, questionable red card moments and four goals: 2-2. Bryan Linssen and Sami Ouaissa scored for NEC. For Ajax Kasper Dolberg and Mika Godts.
Both Ajax and NEC do not make much progress with the single point in the hunt for number two Feyenoord, which now has a four-point lead over Ajax and will play against FC Twente on Sunday.
Still, a draw in Nijmegen was justified. The teams of Dick Schreuder and Fred Grim appeared to be evenly matched, even in the last half hour after NEC had to continue with ten men due to a red card for Ouaissa.
Over the line?
There was never a dull moment. NEC started fieryly and after just three minutes the ball was in through Linssen. Although the VAR had to check (and even then it was difficult to see) whether Linssen’s effort had gone completely over the line. Ajax was upset and was fortunate that it did not immediately fall behind 2-0 due to Koki Ogawa, among others.
NEC was slightly stronger before half time and had slightly more ball possession and options. The home team got away well when Linssen was given a yellow card early on and not a red card for a tackle from behind on the ankle of Ko Itakura.
Almost out of nowhere, Ajax came back into the match. Seventeen-year-old Sean Steur, in the starting line-up for the team from Amsterdam for the third game in a row, sent Anton Gaaei into the depth, after which the boosted back prepared the ball for Dolberg (1-1).
Even before half time, Ajax also took the lead due to an ugly mistake by NEC defender Philippe Sandler. Youri Regeer, returning to the Ajax base, stole the ball from him and, 1-on-1 with goalkeeper Gonzalo Crettaz, delivered the ball sideways to Godts who was walking along (1-2). The Belgian scored his seventh goal of the season.
Goal en rood in Ouai
NEC came out of the dressing room as they had started the first half: full of energy. That resulted in the equalizer after just one minute. Ouaissa easily went past Lucas Rosa and curled the ball into the far corner (2-2).
Not much later, NEC winger Basar Önal even had the 3-2 on his shoe after he plucked a long ball from Crettaz out of the air with great feeling. But he saw his shot fly past.
And then the match took another unexpected turn. Ouaissa – apparently without intention – stood on Davy Klaassen’s lower leg and immediately got red. A classic eleven-a-side scenario was to be expected, in which Ajax in particular would chase the winning goal and NEC would withdraw. But the home team was not afraid.
Even after Gloukh (save), Kenneth Taylor (side net) who had returned from injury and Gloukh (next to and save) twice had made NEC falter, the Nijmegen team also tried to attack with ten men. But there was no real chance to make it 3-2. The team from Amsterdam also had no ultimate opportunity in the five-minute injury time.
After five consecutive victories and a draw at NEC, Ajax ends an eventful six months with its head held high. NEC had a first half of the season full of admiration for the attacking game, which brought the team to fourth place after seventeen matches.
