Ajax produced a commanding display on Saturday evening, easing to a 3-0 victory over Heracles Almelo at the Asito Stadium, with the result shaped early by sharp finishing and defensive lapses from the hosts.
The Amsterdam side made several changes, with Ko Itakura and Oscar Gloukh introduced into the starting XI in place of Sean Steur and Oliver Edvardsen, while Wout Weghorst once again spearheaded the attack.
Takehiro Tomiyasu was named among the substitutes after returning to fitness, and Kasper Dolberg remained unused on the bench.
Heracles, meanwhile, fielded former Ajax men Remko Pasveer and Naci Ünüvar in their line-up.
Ajax began on the front foot, with early openings falling to Jorthy Mokio and Weghorst, while Berghuis tested Pasveer from a set piece that the goalkeeper did well to push away.
The breakthrough arrived in the 16th minute when Mika Godts capitalised on a shaky moment from Pasveer, lifting a delicate finish over the advancing keeper to make it 1-0.
Barely a minute later, Ajax struck again. Weghorst nodded a clever assist into the path of Steven Berghuis, who calmly converted after a swift exchange to double the advantage and leave Heracles reeling.
Shortly after the restart, Berghuis struck again to complete his brace, finishing off another flowing move as hesitation in the Heracles defence was punished to make it 3-0 and effectively end the contest.
Ajax remained dangerous, with both Weghorst and Godts striking the woodwork as they pushed for more goals.
Heracles, managed by Ernest Faber, struggled to respond and rarely threatened a comeback.
The closing stages saw a late setback for Ajax when substitute Tomiyasu was dismissed following a VAR review for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity after bringing down Lequincio Zeefuik.
Despite finishing with ten men, Ajax comfortably saw out the remainder of the match to secure an important three points in their push for European qualification.
