Wout Weghorst saved Ajax's ambitions after their Europa League fiasco

Ajax took to the field burdened by their Europa League loss to Real Sociedad. Facing internal and external pressure, Francesco Farioli’s team needed a convincing response and managed to scrape a hard-fought 2-1 victory against NEC on the road. The hero of the match was Wout Weghorst, who scored twice, securing three crucial points for the Amsterdam side. Despite the outcome, the game highlighted some weaknesses that Ajax will have to resolve if they are to be consistent in domestic and European competitions.

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Shaky start and early scare

NEC began pressing Ajax from the first whistle. Pressing high, the hosts took advantage of the away team's nervousness as they forced them deep into their half. In came a spell when all sort of mayhem was wreaked, and a rebound provided by Sontje Hansen-a onetime Ajax player-wasn't parried as well when coming into first contact with an outstanding outstretched save by first-half standout performer Remko Pasveer. The goal seemed like very early confirmation that Ajax remained under the clouds of defeat in Europe. Their struggles to organize in the opening minutes highlighted how far Farioli’s team is from their best form.

Opportunism

If Ajax showed anything, it was resilience. Just minutes after the scare, Kenneth Taylor pushed forward on the left and delivered a precise cross. Wout Weghorst latched onto it, slotting the ball past NEC’s goalkeeper Robin Roefs with a slight deflection. Weghorst didn’t stop there. In the second half, Taylor found the forward once again in almost the same way, to seal the lead. "Kenneth made two excellent passes today. The first ball was great played back, and the second one was perfect laid," Weghorst post-match. 

Stretched Defence and last-minute survival 

With the result beyond doubt now, NEC pressed hard for consolation in the final ten minutes as Ajax were running the clock down. The already-under-scrutiny defense needed a collective effort to hold onto the result. "Certainly, in the final stages, they came close to our goal a bit too often. But these are important points," Weghorst said, summing up the relief after the final whistle. The win wasn't without drama, as NEC proved adept at exploiting Ajax's defensive gaps, a concern Farioli must address in future matches.

The player Ajax needed

Weghorst was the standout performer of the match, not only for his goals but also for his leadership and opportunism in critical moments. He proved his worth in a situation where there was little room for error. "Today was very important, for sure. Losing to Real Sociedad last Thursday was disappointing, but we're still in a good position in the Europa League. We just need to keep winning games," the forward said.