Record Eredivisie champions Ajax suffered a stunning setback on Saturday as Excelsior Rotterdam claimed a historic 2-1 victory, their first-ever win at the Johan Cruyff ArenA.
Caretaker manager Fred Grim remained in charge for the Amsterdam side, who faced the league’s lowest-scoring team. Excelsior had managed just 11 goals in 12 matches and arrived in poor form, losing four of their previous six outings.
Yet it was Ajax who looked sluggish and uninspired.
The hosts created little going forward and failed to apply pressure in Excelsior’s half.
Their passive approach kept the visitors comfortable, and a wasted chance by Wout Weghorst from close range proved costly.
Moments later, Noah Naujoks punished Ajax’s disjointed defence, slicing through the middle before beating Remko Pasveer for a shock opener.
Naujoks struck again early in the second half, guiding a composed finish into the bottom corner after youngster Gerald Alders failed to deal with a cross.
Ajax’s problems deepened when right-back Anton Gaaei suffered a non-contact injury, leaving the already depleted full-back line further weakened with Owen Wijndal and Lucas Rosa unavailable to start.
Substitute Kasper Dolberg briefly revived hope for Ajax, firing home from inside the area to reduce the deficit with half an hour left.
Excelsior, however, refused to crumble. Mike van Duinen nearly restored the two-goal cushion, only for Pasveer to produce a superb save to keep Ajax alive.
Despite late pressure, Ajax couldn’t find a way past Stijn van Gassel as Excelsior held firm to secure a memorable and historic win in Amsterdam.
The Johan Cruyff ArenA next hosts Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League clash between Ajax and Benfica, ranked 36th and 35th respectively.
