Since his transfer to Ajax in 2018, Dusan Tadic has turned out to be a true leader for the Amsterdam-based club. The Serb's debut took place on July 25, 2018, in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League against Sturm Graz. Against that same opponent, Tadic scored his first goal in the red and white shirt on August 1, 2018.
Celebrating in Europe
After his goal against the Austrians, Tadic managed to score eighteen more times during a European match. Bayern München, PAOK, BSC Young Boys, AEK Athens, and Benfica are some of his favourite opponents. Against all the previously mentioned, Tadic scored two times. One of his most famous goals was, without a doubt, the cracker in the top corner during the away game against Real Madrid.
The Serb made his first Eredivisie goal in Venlo. On August 18, 2018, Tadic made the difference in the final seconds of the match, from the penalty mark, during the away match against VVV-Venlo: 0-1. Penalties often were a breeze for Ajax's captain. From the penalty mark, he successfully reached the net 31 times. Tadic also happened to score the occasional free kick three times and turned four corners into goals. The other (62) goals came from open play, which brings his total to one hundred.
His number of goals in the Netherlands is currently, after his 100th goal against Sparta, at 81. From those, eight were made in the Dutch Cup and 73 in the Eredivisie. A special detail is the fact that Tadic, since his transfer in 2018, has not missed a single Eredivisie match. In fact, the current Ajax captain only failed to play six matches in his entire career at Ajax: four times in the Dutch Cup and two times in a European match. His total amount of appearances for Ajax 1, after a hundred goals, is 225. In those, he wore the captains' band 168 times. Whenever Tadic scored in the Eredivisie, the Amsterdam-based team rarely lost: they won 58 times, lost once, and tied four times.
Deadly within the penalty area
One hundred goals, of which (95) within the 18-yard box. Tadic only made 5 goals outside of that area. If we dive deeper into the way Tadic makes his goals, we can see that his left leg is key. The Serb scored 80 times with his left foot, by far the most out of all his goals. He scored 18 times with his right foot.
Only once, Tadic managed to score via a header. On October 28, 2018, at home against Feyenoord. On September 14, 2019, in the home match against sc Heerenveen, he managed to score with his back. The Friesian team also happens to be Tadic’s favourite opponent. In the eleven times the two clubs met, the attacker scored ten times. The most out of all teams he played against.
Fitness & favourite day
Tadic's great shape is one of his secrets to playing football at the highest level. Perhaps his fitness explains why he has scored most of his goals in the last 15 minutes of the match.
Over the course of four and a half seasons, Ajax fans have been able to celebrate goals made by the attacker almost every day of the week. The only day Tadic has not managed to get the ball in the net is Monday. Saturday (25) and Sunday (40) are the Serb's best days, followed by Wednesday on which he made twenty.
Spring, summer, winter, or fall; it does not matter to the captain. He will deliver anywhere, and at any time.
From 'Goaltjes Piet' to the newest milestone for Tadic
Despite his great performance, Tadic is not the only Ajax player to reach this incredible milestone. Piet van Reenen is, since his last goal in Ajax, the ultimate top scorer. From 1929 to 1942, 'Goaltjes Piet' as his nickname goes, scored 273 times. Van Reenen needed 237 matches to get to that number. A truly remarkable achievement. However, it is worth mentioning that Van Reenen made his goals during the time that football was still considered an amateur sport in the Netherlands. Despite that, the contribution he made to Ajax’s Golden Years in the 1930s is impressive. After the first league titles in 1918 and 1919, Ajax managed to win it five more times that decade. 'Goaltjes Piet' his record might never be surpassed.
Three other Ajax legends from another period in the history of the club are also on the list of all-time top scorers. Johan Cruyff was the one to come the closest to Van Reenen his record. Ajax's best player of all time played 369 matches in which he scored 271 goals. Cruyff made his goals in the '60s, '70s, and 80's when he returned to Ajax.
Sjaak Swart is number three in the rank. Mister Ajax scored 228 times in his 603 matches for the main force. Swart did not make it to the top position on the rank, but he is the Ajax player with the most played matches to his name. It is unlikely that that record will be broken any time soon, or even at all.
Henk Groot is the last Ajax player that reached the 200 goals milestone. The scorer made 207 goals from 1959 to 1969. Groot had to end his career early due to a serious injury. He made 305 appearances for Ajax. Who knows how far he could have come if he would not have sustained that injury.
Suárez
The fact that making at least one hundred goals for Ajax 1 is not easy, is proved by Luis Suárez. The former striker was the last Ajax player who ended up on the noteworthy list. With his goal on July 28, 2010, against PAOK in the qualifying rounds of the Champions League, he made his 100th goal.
