This was Ajax’s third friendly of the current pre-season campaign. The team previously beat Hibernian (6-3) and drew against Aarhus GF (1-1).
Ajax dominated proceedings before halftime, frequently finding the free man and deservedly taking the lead around the 30-minute mark. Berghuis opened the scoring, but much of the credit belonged to Kian Fitz-Jim. The midfielder applied excellent pressure, won the ball near the edge of the box, and laid it off to Berghuis, who cleverly beat his defender with a body feint before finishing confidently.
After the break, Ajax returned to the pitch with an entirely new eleven and struggled more. PAOK looked much more dangerous and even hit the crossbar.
Still, Ajax doubled their lead in the 71st minute. Wolff found the net following a powerful cross from Gerald Alders. However, Ajax’s two-goal advantage didn’t last long. Anestis Mythou pulled one back for PAOK after a sloppy moment in Ajax’s build-up play. The match ended 2-1 in favor of the Amsterdam side.
Ajax’s fourth friendly of the summer is scheduled for this Saturday, when they take on KV Mechelen.
Ajax - PAOK 2-1 (1-0)
29. Berghuis 1-0
71. Wolff
74. Mythou 2-1
