Ajax Stays Ahead in Eredivisie with Narrow Win

On a crisp Sunday afternoon, Ajax solidified their position at the top of the Eredivisie, stretching their lead over PSV to a solid eight points with a hard-fought 1-0 victory against PEC Zwolle. The only goal of the match came from the penalty spot, converted by Kenneth Taylor after a handball incident.

The Amsterdammers, who’ve now clinched ten consecutive league wins, faced some injury concerns, particularly with Brian Brobbey. The striker had to be substituted just 15 minutes in after sustaining a knock to his knee.

“The players are doing something special. There’s real character in this team,”

beamed Ajax manager Francesco Farioli after the match. “With a few injuries, we’re sometimes pushed to our limits, but that’s part of the game. We need all our players.”

Away from the pitch, Ajax were also without Davy Klaassen, who is on the verge of becoming a father for the first time.

In goal for Ajax, Matheus took over from Remko Pasveer, who suffered an injury in Thursday's Europa League defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt. Farioli confirmed that the club is working to get the Brazilian keeper eligible for the return match in Frankfurt.

Ryan Thomas made a welcome return to the starting eleven for Zwolle, having been sidelined since December due to a serious knee injury.

The first half passed without much excitement, with Ajax beginning somewhat sloppily and Zwolle failing to capitalise on any openings. The best chance before the break fell to Zwolle defender Olivier Aertssen, who blasted over from a corner amidst goalkeeping uncertainty from Matheus.

Ajax finally sparked to life in the second half but had to weather a few scares as Filip Krastev threatened with a fierce shot. The pivotal moment came when VAR awarded Ajax a penalty for a handball by Anselmo Garcia MacNulty, which Taylor dispatched with ease just after the hour mark.

In response, Zwolle shed their inhibition and started creating chances, with Dylan Vente narrowly missing an opportunity and Davy van den Berg shooting over. Ajax nearly doubled their lead through Steven Berghuis, but a sharp save from Jasper Schendelaar denied him.

With Zwolle pushing for an equaliser in the closing stages, Ajax displayed their resilience that showcases why they dominate the current Eredivisie landscape, ultimately securing all three invaluable points.