NOS Voetbal•yesterday, 4:24 PM•Adjusted yesterday, 7:32 PM
View the summary of FC Twente – Ajax
FC Twente and Ajax kept each other in balance in a great Premier League match in Enschede. A game full of opportunities and attacking football ended in 2-2.
With this, Twente breaks Ajax’s winning streak of seven matches (in all competitions). The Tukkers took the lead twice through Michel Vlap, but Ajax fought back both times.
Farioli annoyed
“I am positive, especially when you consider that a few weeks ago no one would have thought that we would get ten points from the last four top matches,” Ajax coach Francesco Farioli said afterwards.
He then became somewhat irritated when Ajax was described as a title candidate. “I have to keep repeating myself. Look where we come from. Last year we were injury champions, Twente was third and we were only fifth. The goal is to bring Ajax back to where it should be, but I’m not talking about titles yet.”
Farioli says title candidate: ‘I keep saying: we are building’
In midweek, both Twente and Ajax had impressed in the Europa League. Twente played a very good first half in Nice, but gave away a 0-2 lead (2-2). Ajax wiped the floor with Maccabi Tel Aviv at home and won 5-0.
Joseph Oosting made quite a few changes to his starting team – Vlap was now back in – but stuck with youngster Gijs Besselink, who played briefly for the defense. Sem Steijn, who was ill this week, started on the bench.
Weghorst whistled
At Ajax, Brian Brobbey started as a substitute and Chuba Akpom and Wout Weghorst were in the starting line-up. Every ball contact from the latter was accompanied by a whistle concert from the home crowd. This summer Weghorst was close to a move to Twente, but he ultimately chose Ajax.
NOS
In the first minutes of the match in the Grolsche Veste, Twente had the upper hand, after which Ajax took the initiative. Francesco Farioli’s team built up well and became very dangerous three times in the first half hour.
Right winger Akpom was close to scoring after Weghorst put him alone in front of the keeper. A few minutes later he asked for a penalty, but was denied by referee Allard Lindhout. Weghorst then had the 0-1 on his shoe, but Lars Unnerstall was just in the way.
The opening goal for Ajax was in the air, but fell for Twente. Youri Baas just gave the ball as a gift to Vlap and he hit the ball brilliantly.
The disaster suddenly piled up for Ajax, because Mika Godts was injured a minute after the goal was conceded. The Belgian, in good form in recent weeks, grabbed his hamstring. Bertrand Traoré was his replacement.
Up and down
After the break the match went back and forth. Ajax was slightly more dangerous, but Sam Lammers had a huge chance to make it 2-0. He only had to tap in, but hit the ball completely wrong.
The striker regretted this even more a few minutes later, when Davy Klaassen scored the equalizer. Kenneth Taylor’s preparatory work – a dribble and a tight cross – was excellent.
But Twente certainly did not let this discourage them and fought back. Left back Anass Salah-Eddine kept a wide ball in with great effort and offered Vlap his second shooting opportunity of the match. This time he subtly turned the ball into the top corner behind Remko Pasveer.
Ajax repaired the damage within two minutes. Again Taylor took off on the left and again he crossed hard and low. Traoré crawled in front of his man and tapped the 2-2 into the roof of the goal. Moments earlier, Daan Rots had had the chance to make it 3-1, after an error by Jordan Henderson.
In the final phase, Twente had a little more left. That created a great chance for substitute Steijn, about ten minutes before the end. His shot was good, but Pasveer’s save was even better. It turned out to be the last chance of the game.
