Ajax Insights: Debutants deliver in Zwolle

Although Ajax controlled proceedings throughout the afternoon, it took some time before their dominance was reflected on the scoreboard. During the first half alone, Ajax enjoyed 67 per cent possession in Zwolle. Following the home side's red card and a sustained wave of attacks after the break, that figure eventually rose to 70 per cent over the course of the match.

Despite Ajax's superiority, the first major opportunity of the game fell to the hosts. Just over half an hour in, Tobias Sommer found himself completely unmarked in front of debutant goalkeeper Marc ter Stegen. The Danish midfielder's chance carried an expected goals (xG) value of 0.35, meaning that, according to the data, the ball would end up in the net 35 times out of 100 identical situations. Fortunately for Ajax, Ter Stegen produced an excellent save.

The decisive difference was made in the second half. After PEC Zwolle were reduced to ten men following a red card, Ajax launched wave after wave of attacks. As the half progressed, head coach Míchel Sánchez introduced fresh legs, including Eredivisie debutants Julian Brandt and Tolu. Neither needed long to make an impact.

Just three minutes
Tolu played a key role in the opening goal. A cross from Lucas Rosa was brilliantly controlled by the Nigerian forward, who then laid the ball off for Jorthy Mokio to fire home the 0-1. At that point, Tolu had been on the pitch for just three minutes and six seconds. He became the first Ajax player since Borna Sosa in 2023 to register an assist on his VriendenLoterij Eredivisie debut.

Caio Henrique and Abdellah Ouazane also made their Eredivisie debuts for Ajax. Both players contributed positively to the victory, recording pass accuracy figures of over 80 per cent. It was therefore a successful afternoon for Sánchez's side, helped considerably by the contributions of Ajax's debutants.