Ajax’s grip on the Eredivisie top spot took a dent on Tuesday night after they were held to a 0-0 draw by Heracles Almelo in the Amsterdam Arena.
- Follow Football-Oranje on Twitter
Frank de Boer has spent January expressing his need for a new striker, and Ajax’s performance on Tuesday night will no doubt confirm the coaches claims and make the next five days busy for director Marc Overmars.
From the start Ajax struggled to break down a defensive Heracles side, with Bram Castro denying Daley Sinkgraven early on, before Riechedly Bazoer sent a fierce strike into the side netting.
De Boer clearly had words with his players at half time and they made a bright start to the second half, but after Castro saved from Anwar El Ghazi and Bazoer, Ajax’s momentum ran out of steam.
The injection of Viktor Fischer and Lasse Schone failed to inspire the home side and Heracles even had the chance to snatch an unlikely victory late on, but Mike Te Wierik failed to connect with the ball at the vital moment after steaming through on goal.
The draw means Ajax’s lead at the top could be cut to one point if PSV beat Excelsior on Wednesday, while Heracles remain 4th.