Ajax have moved up to second after they came back from behind to beat Utrecht 3-2 in the Amsterdam Arena.
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The hosts, who welcomed Hakim Ziyech back into the starting line-up, started the game in control with Amin Younes especially lively down the left wing but they couldn’t test Robbin Ruiter in the Utrecht goal. Then on 27 minutes, slightly against the run of play, Utrecht took the lead with a short corner whipped into the box by Yassin Ayoub and Kevin Conboy rose to head the ball perfectly into the net.
Richairo Zivkovic, who was playing against his parent club, could have doubled the lead soon after but after racing through on goal he was denied by an excellent tackle by Davinson Sanchez. At the other end Ruiter made an excellent save to deny a fierce strike by Younes.
Two minutes into the second half Ajax drew level in fortunate circumstances as Ramon Leeuwin swung his foot at a Younes cross and the ball looped up and over Ruiter into the net. After the equaliser, Ajax poured forward and should have made it 2-1 when Daley Sinkgraven’s cross made its way to Davy Klaassen in the box but the captain could only flick the ball wide.
With twelve minutes to go Nick Viergever’s strike from the edge of the box struck Rico Strieder on the arm to gift Ajax a penalty, which Lasse Schone struck firmly past Ruiter to put the home side in front. In the 87th minute a long ball forward was allowed to bounce over the Utrecht defence where Ziyech was waiting and he scuffed a shot past Ruiter to make it 3-1.
Utrecht seemed to be out of the game but in the last minute Mark van der Maarel pulled one back from close range to to make it a nervy end for Ajax, but they held on to move into second place.
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