An old defect seemed to surface again in the away match at sc Heerenveen. As in the previous matches against Feyenoord and ADO Den Haag, Ajax created plenty of chances. But with more precision in finishing, each match could have been won more easily. Ajax have been playing well recently and the match against sc Heerenveen was no exception. The only complaint could be that too many chances were left unused.

,,We kept Heerenveen in the game for too long’’, said Henk ten Cate. ,,I am very pleased with the way we played. Very focussed. But the score did not reflect that. We did however win three important points. I know from experience that not many teams win here.’’

After 17 minutes, Tom de Mul showed his team the way. Wesley Sneijder's touch through was finished in the far corner by the right winger: 0-1.

Sneijder, together with Urby Emanuelson and Zdenek Grygera, created the most danger on behalf of Ajax. Especially Grygera's rushes caught the eye. At least two of his shots deserved a better fate. That could also be said of a free kick by Sneijder and a long-distance effort by Emanuelson, who played in midfield this time. Ajax were also denied a penalty, when Vandenbussche brought down Hedwiges Maduro.

,,We let Ajax play too much’’, said Heerenveen coach Gertjan Verbeek. ,,The match could have been decided in the first half. Ajax were well organised and had an extra man in midfield. We were never in the game. That has been different in the past.’’

At times, Ajax had some great combinations. Forwards Klaas Jan Huntelaar and De Mul kept Heerenveen's defence very busy, as did midfielders Sneijder, Emanuelson, Maduro and Gabri. Ten Cate's team had to stay alert for the occasional counter attack from the home side. Luckily, John Heitinga made it top goalscorer Afonso Alves very difficult, which took the danger out of Heerenveen's offence. with Jaap Stam back as the defensive anchor, the home team could not get very close to Maarten Stekelenburg's goal.

Michel Breuer became one of the more dangerous players for Heerenveen. The defender came forward regularly and tried his luck with some shots from distance. Lasse Nilsson also had some opportunities, but Maarten Stekelenburg reacted well. Just like his teammmates, the goalkeeper played a solid match. Ajax played well as a team against Heerenveen this Saturday.

Wesley Sneijder ended the uncertainty when he fired a free kick past Vandenbussche fifteen minutes from the end.
Substitute Markus Rosenberg, on for Huntelaar, could and should have scored Ajax's third when he shot the ball against the goalkeeper in a one on one situation. But it had no negative consequences. The Ajax collective won another difficult away match.