Ajax has progressed to the next round in the KNVB Cup. Thanks to goals by Sergiño Dest (2), Noa Lang and Jurgen Ekkelenkamp, a narrow 3-4 win was earned. Sontje Hansen made his debut in Ajax 1.
Compared to the game against AZ, coach Erik ten Hag’s team presented quite a different team at the starting kick-off. A youthful Ajax included Jurgen Ekkelenkamp, Ryan Gravenberch and Noa Lang. Sergiño Dest also returned to the Amsterdam team’s starting eleven.
The home team kicked the game off energetically, and was able to create trouble for Ajax’s defense with high balls into the penalty kick area. Thanks to good defensive work by Perr Schuurs, setbacks were avoided and Ajax slowly grew into the game.
In the 24th minute, the first Amsterdam goal was scored. Donny van de Beek came up past 2 defenders on the right side, and sent a custom-made low pass to Noa Lang, who easily scored the 0-1 goal.
Record-setting Dest
Just four minutes later, Van de Beek had a starring role again. With a great play at the back, he sent the ball to Tadic, who passed it to Dest, standing free. The right back, who had come up, left keeper Van der Maaten defenseless with a shot into the upper corner: 0-2! Dest’s goal sets a new record. Never before has an Ajacied scored 155 goals in one calendar year!
Just before the break, Telstar answered back. Captain Frank Korpershoek, who is also a youth trainer at Ajax, ran up against Mazraoui and sent in the team’s first goal from a corner.
Lively start second half
Ajax came out of the locker room with lots of energy and gave the fans who had come along something to cheer about. A Tadic shot from the second line wasn’t cleared properly by keeper Van der Maaten, and the alert Jurgen Ekkelenkamp was able to send the ball into the goal: 1-3!
Ten minutes later, Ajax’s lead grew to a margin of 3. It was once again Dest who saw his name on the scoreboard. This time, he came up on the left side, and the U.S. international beautifully curved the ball into the goal for the 1-4!
More goals against
As the game progressed, Telstar reared its head again. Via a new corner kick by Anthony Berenstein, Benaiss Benamar, who got away from Lisandro Martínez, scored with a convincing header.
Sontje Hansen, making his debut, was barely on field for one minute when Telstar scored again. Telstar even brought the game to 3-4 in the 89th minute. Centre forward Reda Kharchouch appeared in front of Andre Onana alone after receiving a cross-pass, and beat him with a clean low shot.