Ajax won the Eredivisie for the fifth time in a row on Saturday. Erik ten Hag’s team settled with FC Groningen with great conviction: 3-0, thanks to goals from Edson Álvarez, Antony and Noussair Mazraoui. The score could have been much bigger, but for that Sébastien Haller in particular had to be more careful with the enormous opportunities. As the leader, Ajax now has a lead of three and four points on Willem II and PSV respectively, while Groningen is disappointingly fourteenth.
At Ajax Jurriën Timber returned from illness instead of Perr Schuurs. After 75 minutes, Davy Klaassen made his comeback after weeks of injury. Groningen had to miss the suspended Daniël van Kaam, while Mike te Wierik started on the bench. The team from Amsterdam seized the initiative and soon released Noussair Mazraoui in the penalty area of Groningen. The right back of Ajax waited too long and saw Marin Sverko intervene. Antony headed in a promising position moments later from a cross by Dusan Tadic.
At the back of Ajax, Daley Blind intervened with a good sliding on Mo El Hankouri, after which it became one-way traffic towards Groningen’s goal. Haller shot after a good transfer from Steven Berghuis to Wessel Dammers, while Tadic hit the block of Damil Dankerlui and Neraysho Kasanwirjo from an indirect free kick of about ten meters. Tadic should have scored in the rebound with his head, but headed over the empty goal. Haller also missed a huge opportunity by mowing over a low cross from Berghuis.
Deep in the first half, Ajax still scored, when Álvarez headed a cross from the right of Berghuis into the goal: 1-0. Great opportunities kept presenting themselves for Haller, who headed over from a cross from Antony shortly before half-time and did the same in the second half from a perfect ball from Berghuis. After Mazraoui had also headed for Leeuwenburgh, the 2-0 fell from a shot by Antony in the 57th minute. The Brazilian dribbled in from the right and sent the ball to the far corner.
Tadic had two free shooting opportunities from the left side of the penalty area, but twice aimed straight at Leeuwenburgh. In the second, Mazraoui got the ball in the rebound. The right back cut to the left and aimed just wide from close range. Mazraoui got his goal ten minutes before the end, by suddenly extending a deep high ball from Lisandro Martínez: 3-0. Substitute Mohamed Daramy was still free for Leeuwenburgh by David Neres and aimed at the feet of the keeper.
| No. | Team | m | W | G | V | +/- | Pnt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ajax | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 29 | 19 |
| 2 | William II | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 16 |
| 3 | PSV | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 15 |
| 4 | Feyenoord | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 12 |
| 5 | FC Utrecht | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 11 |
| 6 | FC Twente | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 10 |
| 7 | sc Heerenveen | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 10 |
| 8 | SC Cambuur | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | -7 | 9 |
| 9 | Vitesse | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | -8 | 9 |
| 10 | NEC | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | -5 | 8 |
| 11 | Go Ahead Eagles | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | -4 | 6 |
| 12 | Sparta Rotterdam | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | -4 | 6 |
| 13 | RKC Waalwijk | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -2 | 5 |
| 14 | Fc Groningen | 7 | 1 | 2 | 4 | -7 | 5 |
| 15 | Heracles Almelo | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | -3 | 4 |
| 16 | Fortuna Sittard | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | -7 | 4 |
| 17 | AZ | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | -5 | 3 |
| 18 | PEC Zwolle | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | -7 | 1 |