Ajax booked a difficult victory over Willem II on Saturday evening. Erik ten Hag’s team made the difference nine minutes before the end: 0-1. Jurriën Timber became the celebrated man, although he had to pay for his goal with an injury. The defender collided with the post when he crowned a cross from Antony. The victory gives Ajax an eight-point lead over PSV, which will play against sc Heerenveen on Sunday.
Especially in the final phase, Ajax started in the search for an opening goal. There were no real big opportunities, although the team from Amsterdam was threatening several times. Seven minutes before half time, Antony pulled from the right flank past the penalty area and shot past the left leg. Shortly afterwards, Davy Klaassen let a ball pass for Steven Berghuis, who produced a drop-off from the penalty area. The last attempt came from Jurriën Timber, who received a low pass from Klaassen and produced a turning shot. Timon Wellenreuther stretched and tapped the ball over the bar.
Willem II offered a good match to Ajax on the whole and did not seem to have to make a huge effort to stay upright. Ajax’s game was slow and sometimes stiff, so there was no obvious dominance. Willem II once became really dangerous in the first half. After Daley Blind lost the ball due to a sloppy ball, Daniel Crowley sent a deep pass to Ché Nunnely, who found Jizz Hornkamp with his cross. However, the striker couldn’t get his foot right against the ball and shot wide. Even after the break, Willem II had a good opportunity to score the opening goal.
After a sharp pass by Thijs Oosting, Max Svensson suddenly appeared behind Noussair Mazraoui, after which he shot eye to eye with Remko Pasveer. An instant later Ajax scored. After interplay between Dusan Tadic, Blind and Klaassen, the former pulled the trigger. Video referee Edwin van de Graaf, however, saw that Antony was offside in the run-up to the goal, so that it remained 0-0. Lisandro Martínez then headed wide from a turning corner and Klaassen encountered Wessel Dammers in the short corner, after Wellenreuther passed.
Time was running out for Ajax. In minute 75 Willem II was lucky again: a header by Sébastien Haller was extended by Danilo, who hit the post from close by. Ten minutes before time it was still hit for Ajax. After a turning cross from Antony from the right wing, Timber appeared at the far post. He got the ball through Wellenreuther’s head into the goal and painfully collided with the post. The defender had to be replaced by Perr Schuurs, but his kamikaze action was the most important of the evening. Ajax has now been unbeaten for 26 away games in a row, a record in the history of the Eredivisie.
† @AFCAjax wins 0-1 at Willem II thanks to this goal by Jurriën Timber with his … yes how exactly?#wilaja pic.twitter.com/qSWhgU36uq
— ESPN NL (@ESPNnl) February 19, 2022