21:32
Penalty Excelsior? The referee does not hesitate and points to the spot. Benita storms into the penalty area and Bergwijn holds him. The VAR will take a look at it.
21:27
1-0 GOAL by Devyne Rensch!
Taylor passes the ball from the left side and Rensch finishes when Zagré does not intervene adequately and the ball hangs. The team from Amsterdam are ahead at home without playing well.
21:25
The pace briefly increases at Ajax after a combination between Godts and Tahirovic. The ball ends up with Bergwijn, but then the speed is immediately lost from the attack. Excelsior is well organized and gives away virtually nothing.
21:22
Ajax looked very awkward in the 4-3-3 formation in the first quarter of the match. Can the home team find an extra gear?
21:17
Rulli keeps Ajax going
Excelsior gets the biggest chance in the match so far. Baas gets the ball at his feet after a great pass from Sanches Fernandes. The midfielder takes a hard shot from about fifteen meters and Rulli has to take action.
21:13
First chance is for Ajax
It is Godts who passes his man and reaches the back line. He lashes out, but finds Excelsior goalkeeper Van Gassel on his way. The rebound was not spent on any of the other Ajax players in the sixteen.
21:09
Defense does its job
Sanches Fernandes is sent off and seems to be able to provide some threat. However, Ajax’s defense is good and so there is no danger from Excelsior’s side. We have to wait for the first chance in the match.
21:07
A cautious start for the home team. Ajax cannot keep the ball in the team for long, so Excelsior is doing well for the time being.
21:04
There Excelsior comes close to the Ajaxgoal for the first time. However, Hato intervenes well by providing back cover and thus ensures that Rulli can take the goal kick.
9:00 PM
First half kicked off
The ball has started rolling in Amsterdam.
20:56
Players enter the field
The players from Ajax and Excelsior appear there. In a few moments we will start in Amsterdam. We do this on a wet lawn, because there has just been a heavy shower in the stadium.
20:55
Who will take fifth place?
This is what the remaining program for Ajax (48 points), NEC (47 points) and FC Utrecht (45 points) looks like:
Ajax:
– Excelsior (home)
– Volendam (away)
– Almere (home)
– Vitesse (out)
NEC:
– AZ (home)
– Excelsior (away)
– Feyenoord (home)
– Almere (away)
FC Utrecht:
– RKC (home)
– Vitesse (out)
– Sparta (home)
– AZ (off)
20:43
Ajax started warming up
In just over fifteen minutes we will kick off in the Johan Cruijff Arena.
20:42
Van ‘t Schip about 4-3-3
Ajax once again played in a 4-3-3 formation in the second half against FC Twente and the Amsterdam team will do so again tonight – due to their success against the Tukkers. At ESPN, John got from ‘t Ship asks whether he has already thought about returning to a system with four defenders.
“You talk about it all the time, but at some point you have to hold on to something,” said the coach. “And having to change formation every time is not ideal either. This was the moment (against FC Twente in the second half) to do something. There wasn’t the right flow and energy and we got that in the second half yes in. That is a turning point.”
20:33
Mislintat already has a new club
And also another transfer news from the beginning of this week: the dismissed Sven Mislintat already has a new job. The former director of Ajax’s football affairs is returning to work at Borussia Dortmund.
20:21
Conceição is permanently leaving Amsterdam
Whether Ajax plays Europa League, Conference League or perhaps no European football, the Amsterdam team will have to make do without Francisco Conceição next season. The 21-year-old Portuguese attacker has signed a five-year contract with FC Porto, which already rented him this season and now has the purchase option for 10 million euros.
20:09
Field inspection Excelsior
The visitors from Rotterdam have just explored the turf in a currently empty Johan Cruijff Arena.
20:02
Ajax has to work hard
For Ajax, there is both tension and complacency lurking in the battle for fifth place, which, after Feyenoord’s cup win, entitles them to Europa League football. The specter in Amsterdam is that the errant number 5 of the Netherlands will be caught by NEC or FC Utrecht and will then be sentenced to the play-offs, in which only a preliminary round spot in the Conference League can be earned. Read more here.
19:58
Excelsior setup
Van Gassel
Horemans, Benita, El Yaakoubi, Zagré
Sandra, Goldmine, Boss
Sanches Fernandes, Duijvestijn, Lamprou
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19:46
Ajax line-up
John van ‘t Schip has opted for a 4-3-3 formation tonight. These are the names that will appear at the kick-off. So no Branco van den Boomen, yes Benjamin Tahirovic. The Bosnian came on well against FC Twente and can therefore remain.
Jordan Henderson resumed group training this week after a back injury, but he is not yet in the selection. Steven Berghuis and Kristian Hlynsson are also still missing.
Rulli
Rensch – Sutalo – Kaplan – Hato
Tahirovic – Mannsverk – Taylor
Godts – Brobbey – Bergwijn
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19:32
Driouech will be back this season after all?
A stroke of luck for Excelsior towards the end of the season. There is a chance that Couhaib Driouech will play again this season. Three weeks ago, the 22-year-old attacker left the field crying in the match against PSV with a hamstring injury, but now there is a glimmer of hope.
19:21
Good evening
Welcome to the live blog of the Premier League match between Ajax and Excelsior. Kick-off takes place at 9 p.m. in the Johan Cruijff Arena. Earlier this season, the two clubs played 2-2 against each other in Rotterdam.
