Ajax booed off after drawing at home to Vitesse
The pressure is mounting on Ajax manager Alfred Schreuder as the Amsterdammers drew 2-2 at home to Vitesse. The loud chants of "Schreuder get lost" echoed around the Arena at the full-time whistle. Ajax could have retaken the top spot in the Eredivisie with a victory.
Ajax had just come off the back of a damaging loss to PSV at home last Sunday. Alfred Schreuder made a few changes, with Owen Wijndal and Kenneth Taylor returning to the side.
Ajax took the lead with their first real attack of the match. Steven Bergwijn crossed into the box, and captain Dusan Tadic got to the ball before Vitesse keeper Daan Reiziger and knocked the ball into the net.
After an uncharacteristically huge miss from the usually reliable Davy Klaassen, Ajax hit the post for the first time of the night. Mohamed Kudus' shot hit the inside of the post before slowly rolling across the line.
Vitesse equalized against the run of play after 25 minutes. Centre-back Quinten Timber lost the ball for Ajax leaving a massive gap behind, which Vitesse took full advantage of through the rapid winger Million Manhoef. Manhoef sprinted the length of the Ajax half before sliding the ball past Remko Pasveer in the Ajax goal. It was the sixth game in a row that Ajax have conceded in, their worst run since March-May of 2019 when they conceded in seven games in a row.
Ajax was whistled off the pitch at halftime by the fans in attendance in the Johan Cruijff Arena. Steven Bergwijn had an effort saved by the impressive Daan Reiziger before Vitesse rushed to the other half in a counterattack and forced a corner. This was Phillip Cocu's plan, and to Ajax's chagrin, it worked perfectly. However, the onslaught on Vitesse's goal continued, with Kudus missing another chance before Steven Berghuis curled a shot onto the crossbar. A few minutes later and Ajax hit the woodwork for the third time. Daley Blind, who had earlier come on as a substitute, smashed his shot off the bar after a one-two with Bergwijn.
Despite all the Ajax pressure, Vitesse took a shock lead in a carbon copy of the first goal. Again the Ajax defence left a massive gap behind them, and again Manhoef took advantage with an excellent finish into the far corner. The winger was substituted shortly after.
Ajax leveled five minutes later as the substitutes combined with Blind crossing for Lorenzo Lucca. He headed the ball onto the inside of the post to make it two goals from two games for the first-ever Italian to play for Ajax as he scored his first goal for the club last weekend in the match against PSV.
The excitement was not over yet for this great match as Mohamed Sankoh nearly gave Vitesse the win before Brian Brobbey drilled a shot against the post for Ajax.
Ajax was booed and whistled at full time, with loud chants against Alfred Schreuder echoing over the emptying Johan Cruijff Arena. Ajax has one more match left this weekend against FC Emmen before they take a month off for the Fifa World Cup.
