Excelsior secured an important point at the Johan Cruijff ArenA on Saturday with a 2-2 draw against Ajax. The home side dominated play but failed to convert their chances into a win, leading to frustration among Ajax players and staff. Excelsior, with recent form showing two wins, two draws, and three losses in their last seven matches, was more efficient with four shots on target from nine attempts.
How the match unfolded
Ajax took the lead through Julian Brandt, assisted by Kasper Dolberg. Just before half-time, Lennard Hartjes equalised for Excelsior. In the second half, Aymen Sliti, set up by Irakli Yegoian, even put the Rotterdam club ahead. Ajax quickly replied through Tolu Arokodare, but a decisive third goal never came.
Ajax head coach Míchel felt his team played much better than the result suggested. "We have played a wonderful match. We conceded two goals, but we gave away few chances," he said afterwards. He stated the ball simply wouldn't go in and that his players would work on team patterns during the upcoming international break.
Goalkeeper Marc ter Stegen was more critical. "Everyone who saw the match saw that we deserved more," he claimed. He believed his side should have killed the game in the first half and that conceding two goals at home was unnecessary. Forward Davy Klaassen admitted the defence must improve, as scoring three or four times is not always possible.
For Excelsior, this is a solid result in a season where they sit seventh in the Eredivisie with eleven points from seven games. Manager Marinus Dijkhuizen's team showed resilience after a defeat to FC Utrecht the previous week. The Excelsior squad can look forward with confidence to their next fixture, a home match against FC Groningen on October 11th. The opponent currently sits eighth, promising an important clash in the mid-table. The full standings and upcoming fixtures can be found on our site. Top scorer D. Garden, with three goals this season, will hope to add to his tally then.
Further reading: Voetbal International
