Ajax still has the maximum score in the Eredivisie after two games. The home game against RKC Waalwijk did not cause any problems for Erik ten Hag’s team on Sunday afternoon: 3-0. Dusan Tadic, Zakaria Labyad and Lisandro Martínez scored the goals. Moreover, two Amsterdam hits were rejected by arbiter Bas Nijhuis, who awarded RKC defender Luuk Wouters a red card in the second half.

Ajax joined without the suspended Nicolás Tagliafico, who was replaced by Martínez in the left back position. Ryan Gravenberch was not entirely fit and missing in midfield; Mohammed Kudus was his replacement. Finally, Sergiño Dest was missing at his own request. The right back only wanted to take action in case of an emergency in order to transfer to Bayern Munich. There was never an emergency, but in the final phase he briefly fell in for Daley Blind. Ajax had a fairly simple game overall from the moment the home side opened the score, after ten minutes of play.

Noussair Mazraoui sent Antony into the depths and that attack culminated in a checkered shot from Quincy Promes. The ball ended up at Tadic, who rounded back acrobatically through the inside of the post. Shortly after, Ajax thought they would double the margin, but in the run-up to a Labyad hit, Martínez fouled James Efmorfidis. As a result, Nijhuis rejected the goal after the VAR intervened. Labyad then got two dangerous outs and free kicks, before Ajax went 2-0 on 33 minutes.

Kudus brought the ball from midfield into the RKC penalty area, after which Mazraoui allowed team-mate Labyad to finish. Ajax asked for a penalty twice in vain in the remainder of the first half, after Melle Meulensteen’s supposed handsball and an alleged foul on Labyad. On two occasions, Nijhuis did not answer the call. Also in the opening stages of the second half, Ajax were not favourably inclined, because for the second time a goal was disallowed after intervention of the VAR. Labyad, who gave the assist at Promes, was offside.

Halfway through the second half, Nijhuis returned to an earlier decision. The arbiter awarded Wouters a yellow card after working Labyad to the ground. The referee was called to the side by the VAR to review the situation and then ruled that Labyad was a broken player, which sent Wouters away. Tadic’s subsequent free kick was barely kept out of the goal by goalkeeper Kostas Lamprou, Ajax’s ex-cluster. Sixteen minutes before time, however, Martínez cleverly headed the 3-0 after good combination play between Promes and Tadic.