Ajax maintained their position at the top of the Eredivisie with a convincing 3-1 victory over NAC Breda at the Johan Cruyff ArenA.
This marked their first home game since a 2-2 draw against AZ on March 16th, following their crucial 2-0 triumph over PSV that could potentially seal the title.
The Dutch side were without Danish right-back Anton Gaaei, who was serving a suspension, while Lucas Rosa made his second consecutive Eredivisie start. Captain Jordan Henderson started on the bench due to minor fitness concerns, with Steven Berghuis taking his place in the starting lineup.
Turkish center-back Ahmetcan Kaplan replaced the injured Youri Baas, and 18-year-old Don-Angelo Konadu was handed his full Eredivisie debut as a result of Brian Brobbey’s suspension.
Wout Weghorst also made a return to the matchday squad after a spell on the sidelines with a foot injury.
NAC Breda, who had handed Ajax their only Eredivisie defeat this season back in August with a last-minute goal from captain Jan Van den Bergh, made a strong start in the match.
Leo Sauer skillfully dribbled past several Ajax defenders before finding the right-hand corner of the net to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.
Ajax quickly responded, with a Jorrel Hato cross almost resulting in an equalizer, only for the crossbar to deny them. However, the game turned in Ajax’s favour when NAC’s goalkeeper Roy Kortsmit, making his first Eredivisie appearance in eight years, made a crucial mistake.
Kortsmit lost the ball to Konadu and then fouled the young striker inside the box. Ajax’s top scorer Kenneth Taylor stepped up to take the penalty, calmly slotting it into the left corner to bring Ajax level in the 32nd minute.
Just two minutes later, Ajax took the lead. Strong work from Konadu allowed Taylor to find him again, and Konadu then set up Berghuis, who easily scored from close range to make it 2-1.
The second half lacked much excitement until Wout Weghorst made his return to the pitch after two months out with injury.
The match was put to bed in the 76th minute when 17-year-old Jorthy Mokio, who had come on alongside Weghorst, latched onto a precise pass from Taylor.
Mokio made a well-timed run and scored to become Ajax’s youngest-ever goalscorer in the Eredivisie since Clarence Seedorf.
Ajax saw out the match with ease, preserving their nine-point lead over PSV at the top of the Eredivisie. Their next challenge comes in Tilburg, where they will face Willem II, a side struggling against relegation but looking for a morale-boosting upset.
For NAC Breda, the defeat means they drop to 15th place, extending their winless streak to seven Eredivisie games. Their sole victory in 2025 came against FC Twente in mid-January, leaving them just six points above the relegation zone.
