Ajax only just managed to beat NEC 1-0 Sunday afternoon. "Ultimately, this is a safe win," said coach John Heitinga, who was pleased with how the match unfolded in the early stages. "I thought we played really well in the first 20 to 25 minutes. We kept the pressure fully on, and our imaginative players kept searching for the long crosses, but we didn't score."
Heitinga felt his team were in a better position than in recent games. "We didn't give much away. Everyone wants to get the most out of this season, so it's important to bring home the victories."
The Ajax manager decided to play less on the offensive in the final stages. "We are always critical of ourselves. Sometimes in the past we have gone in hard and things went wrong. Confidence has returned, and that matters. It's all about those three points."
Sunday afternoon saw Ajax book their sixth league victory in a row under new manager John Heitinga. NEC were beaten 1-0 at the Johan Cruyff ArenA, thanks to a second-half goal from Mohammed Kudus. This meant Ajax followed the trend set by the other clubs in the top four, who also all won 1-0 earlier this weekend.
Ajax reached a unique milestone Sunday afternoon. The Ajax team chalked up their 1,500th victory in the club's history at the Johan Cruyff ArenA, beating NEC 1-0. Mohammed Kudus scored the only goal in the match, shortly after half-time.
Ajax defeated NEC 1-0 Sunday and in doing so reached a huge milestone. The Amsterdam club has become the first-ever to chalk up 1,500 victories in the Eredivisie.