Exciting match between FC Twente and Ajax finishes 2-2

An enthralling Eredivisie game between FC Twente and Ajax finished 2-2 in the Grolsch Veste on Sunday. Michel Vlap scored two goals for the Tukkers, but Davy Klaassen and Bertrand Traore scored for Ajax to ensure that the game finished level.

The energy from both sides was very high, considering they both played on Thursday in the UEFA Europa League. Three of the goals in the match came in a chaotic ten minutes. This was also the timeframe that Daan Rots missed a huge chance to double Twente’s lead.

Ajax's manager went with Wout Weghorst in the striker position. He was picked above Brian Brobbey even though the striker had scored once and set up two other goals on Thursday against Maccabi Tel Aviv. FC Twente started the match without their top scorer, Sem Steijn, who had been ill for the last week. He did come off the bench.

The first significant chance of the match came to Ajax in the 10th minute. Weghorst played a good pass over the defence to Chuba Akpom. The English forward was getting pulled by Max Bruns, which resulted in him losing his balance and shooting at Twente keeper Lars Unnerstal.

Ajax continued attacking and created another chance later on. Jordan Henderson played the ball to Davy Klaassen, who cut inside his defender before shooting straight at Unnerstal.

And yet it was the home side who went into halftime with the lead. A poor pass by Youri Baas went straight to Michel Vlap, who did not hesitate to take advantage by volleying it straight into the corner.

Joseph Oosting’s side should have doubled the lead in the 58th minute. The ball came to striker Sam Lammers in the box, with Ajax goalkeeper Remko Pasveer out of his goal. But the striker did not connect with the ball properly, resulting in it going straight to the keeper.

This proved costly as Ajax scored a minute later. Kenneth Taylor played a brilliant low pass to the second post where his midfield partner Davy Klaassen was waiting to slide home.

Vlap got his second goal of the game in the 65th minute to make it 2-1 Twente. The midfielder took one touch before curling the ball into the corner after receiving a pass from Anass Sabah Eddine.

Ajax was almost caught out again by a mistake while playing out from the back straight from the kick-off after the goal. Henderson’s pass back to Pasveer was too short, which meant that Daan Rots was able to intercept it. But he hit the shot at Pasveer even though the keeper had lost his footing.

The match was swinging back and forth as Ajax scored again a minute later. It was another great low-driven cross by Taylor to the back post where Bertrand Traore, who had come on earlier in the match to replace Mika Godts, who went off with a suspected hamstring injury, was able to take advantage to score.

Pasveer had luck on his side for most of the match, but he made the best save of the game after 80 minutes played. Bart van Rooij played the ball inside to Steijn, whose shot was hard and high toward the goal. Pasveer tipped the ball over the bar acrobatically to earn his team a draw.

The result means that PSV have been able to increase their lead at the top of the Eredivisie table. The Eindhovenaren won on Saturday and are now seven points ahead of Ajax, although the Amsterdammers have played a match less. Twente are three points behind Ajax in fifth.