Ajax - FC Groningen was, especially in the second half, a math with everything. Plenty of goals, heart-warming battle, an enthousiastic ArenA-crowd and an exciting ending. That Ajax left the damaged pitch as the winners, was deserved. ,,Yet, not the best team but the luckiest has won today'', said FC Groningen boss Ron Jans.

The match really heated up after halftime. The first half was more of a tactical game. With kenneth Pererz on for Tom de Mul, the home side began the second half strongly. After six minutes, Ajax took the lead when Ryan Babel put away Wesley Sneijder's cross: 1-0. ,,If you score, you're hoping to add another goal quickly’’, said assistent coach Hennie Spijkerman. But the hope was idle. ,,Within ten minutes, we were down 1-2’’, said Spijkerman. ,,Then you know it's going to be difficult. The goals we conceded were dramatic.''

Right before and shortly after the hour-mark, Ajax allowed two goals. First Evgeniy Levchenko put away a penalty kick caused by Gabri. Then a breakdown in comminication between Maarten Stekelenburg and Jaap Stam led to the 1-2. Stekelenburg shot the ball against Groningen forward Luis Suárez who could drop the ball from up close into an empty goal. Spijkerman: ,,It was bad goalkeeping, but Maarten knows that very well himself. Luckily we showed resilience today. We kept on fighting. But we had some problems staying focussed and organised.''

Klaas Jan Huntelaar returned from an ankle injury this Saturday. The striker had some difficulties with defender Gibril Sankoh. But Huntelaar kept on fighting like his teammates, and he made it difficult enough for Groningen's goalkeeper Roorda to allow Ryan Babel to score the equaliser: 2-2.

Shortly after Hedwiges Maduro had saved an effort from Koen van der Laak on the line, Urby Emanuelson forced the decision. The home team's patience was rewarded. ,,Urby's goal was one of amazing beauty’’, said Spijkerman. Deleft back had been the best player on Ajax side the whole evening. Ten minutes before the end, he moved past several opponents and fired the ball in from distance. The ball went high into Roorda's goal.

Again, Groningen's coach Ron Jans left the ArenA without a single point. But this time, he had been close. Spijkerman summarised it best: ,,If you earn three points in the home match against the number three in the league table, you have done a good job.’’ Hard to argue with that one.