Ajax’s woes continue as they lose 3-1 to FC Twente
Ajax continued their poor start to the season on Sunday in the Grolsch Veste against FC Twente. Twente came out as 3-1 winners due to goals from Daan Rots, Sem Steijn, and Naci Unuvar. Brian Brobbey scored Ajax’s solitary goal.
Steven Berghuis made his first start in the Eredivisie for Ajax this season after serving a three-match suspension. He will replace the young Dane Kristian Hlynsson. Captain Steven Bergwijn also returned for the Amsterdammers, having missed the last match against Fortuna Sittard with an injury. Carlos Forbs has been dropped to the bench.
Twente should have broken the deadlock after only one minute played. Michel Vlap played Manfred Ugalde through in behind the defence, but Jay Gorter saved the Costa Rican’s attempt.
Ajax did not heed the warning signs as Twente took the lead five minutes later. Gorter pushed Vlap’s shot out into the path of Daan Rots, who did just about enough to work the ball into the net.
Joseph Oosting’s side smelled blood and doubled their lead after 10 minutes. Gorter saved Michel Sadilek’s shot from distance, but just as with the first goal, it went to a Twente played as Ugalde took advantage, passing the ball across the box to Sem Steijn to tap home. Steijn is Ajax manager Maurice Steijn’s son, to add insult to injury for the Ajax manager.
It was the quickest time that Ajax had gone 2-0 down in an Eredivisie match since the match against Heerenveen in 2008.
The home side nearly made it 3-0 after an incredible passage of play. Rots backheeled the ball to Vlap, who then chipped it through to Steijn, whose volley cannoned off the crossbar.
Ajax got a goal back in the 36th minute when left-back Borne Sosa played a low cross to Brian Brobbey, who got there before Robin Propper and Lars Unnerstall to poke it home.
Oosting's side got slightly sloppy in the second half as players showed signs of fatigue. However, they made it 3-1 with just over ten minutes to go. The two substitutes combined as Ricky van Wolfswinkel worked hard to win the ball before Josep Sutalo, sending ex-Ajax midfielder Naci Unuvar one-on-one with Gorter. Unuvar made no mistake side footing the ball into the Ajax net.
Twente has a 100% record this season, having won all four matches. They are second in the Eredivisie table behind PSV on goal difference. Ajax has one victory in four games. It is the third time in the club's history that this has happened after the 1958-59 and 1964-65 seasons.
Maurice Steijn's side will have to process the defeat quickly as they have their first match of the Europa League group stage on Thursday against Olympique Marseille from France before they face arch-rivals Feyenoord next Sunday in de Klassieker. FC Twente travel to Oosting’s old side RKC Waalwijk.
