Ajax to the Europa League preliminary round thanks to Bergwijn’s hat trick and Feyenoord’s help

NOS Football•today, 4:32 PM

View the summary of Ajax – Almere City FC

Ajax has qualified for European football. Thanks to a hat trick from Steven Bergwijn, the Amsterdam team easily defeated Almere City (3-0) and because competitors NEC (2-3 against Feyenoord) and FC Utrecht (0-1 against Sparta Rotterdam) lost, fifth place can no longer escape Ajax.

That place entitles you to the second qualifying round of the Europa League. NEC and FC Utrecht will compete with Sparta and Go Ahead Eagles in the play-offs for a place in the second qualifying round of the Conference League.

Ajax and Almere provided a slow opening phase without any real opportunities, but after half an hour it was time for Bergwijn. The captain, returning from suspension, needed just nine minutes to score a clean hat-trick.

Bergwijn scored the opening goal after a good one-two with Brian Brobbey (1-0), doubled the score not much later with a nice volley (2-0) and then scored his third of the match (3-0). ). The winger, who otherwise had a difficult year at Ajax, increased his season total to 12 goals.

Watch the interviews with trainer John van ‘t Schip, captain Steven Bergwijn (Ajax) and Alex Pastoor (Almere City) below.

Both teams did not score again in the second half. For example, Ajax and John van ‘t Schip, who entered when the club was in last place, ended the turbulent season in fifth place.

In the pursuit of Ajax, NEC was not allowed to lose any points against Feyenoord, which is already assured of second place in the Premier League. Although the first good chance was for NEC – Kodai Sano aimed just wide – it was the Rotterdam team who took the lead just before half time through Calvin Stengs, who scored in the short corner (0-1).

The second half had barely started when NEC came alongside again. Sano cleverly sent the ball from the edge of the penalty area to the corner and left goalkeeper Justin Bijlow without a chance (1-1).

View the summary and interviews with trainer Arne Slot (Feyenoord), trainer Rogier Meijer and attacker Tjaronn Chery below.

View the summary of NEC – Feyenoord

NEC could not enjoy the equalizer for long, because less than ten minutes later it found itself with ten men (red Bram Nuytinck after mowing down Ayase Ueda) due to a goal by Yankuba Minteh (1-2), his tenth of the season .

Thanks to Sontje Hansen, NEC set itself up again ten minutes before the end. The winger freed himself with a nice movement and scored the 2-2. Just before the end, Ueda gave Feyenoord the full spoils with a striker: 2-3.

FC Utrecht had to beat Sparta to grab the last straw in the battle for fifth place. Ron Jans’ team did not succeed in that. In fact, Sparta took the win thanks to a nice goal from Camiel Neghli.

Both FC Utrecht and Sparta now have to battle for a place in the Conference League in the play-offs.