Ajax missed the chance to move level on points with Feyenoord after being held to a 2-2 draw by AZ Alkmaar.
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The hosts put Ajax’s back four under pressure from the start and Joel Veltman almost netted an own goal in the fourth minute when he cleared Alireza Jahanbakhsh’s cross onto his own post. Andre Onana was then called into action to deny Jahanbakhsh and then Robert Muhren, who raced onto an excellent through ball by Ben Rienstra.
Eventually AZ’s pressure resulted in a goal on 13 minutes as Wout Weghorst stabbed in from close range after Levi Garcia’s cross was deflected into his path by Veltman.
Ajax struggled to find a way back into the game with a long range effort from Hakim Ziyech, which was saved by Sergio Rochet, the closest they came to an equaliser before the break. However, a minute into the second half Bertrand Traore leveled the score with a deflected strike into the top corner.
The goal took the bite out of AZ and on 62 minutes Ajax took the lead through Davy Klaassen. Amin Younes twice forced saves out of Rochet, but the goalkeeper could do nothing about Klaassen netting on the rebound.
Ajax looked in control but a lack of concentration at the back allowed Jahanbakhsh in behind on 79 minutes and his cross was met at close range by Weghorst who stabbed in his second to level. The home side then came close to snatching all three points but Dabney Dos Santos saw his shot deflected onto the bar.
The draw means Ajax stay two points behind Feyenoord, who have a game in hand while AZ are still fifth.
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