Dutch League Opens With Ajax's Landslide Victory Over NEC Nijmegen

Ajax striker Sebastien Haller (right) celebrates with Dusan Tadic after scoring a goal against NEC Nijmegen (Photo: ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The Dutch League 20021/2022 opened with the match between Ajax and NEC Nijmegen at the Johan Cruijff Arena Stadium, Amsterdam, Saturday local time (Sunday, western Indonesia time). Ajax won a landslide victory with five goals without reply against promoted team NEC Nijmegen.

Dusan Tadic scored twice in the 5-0 win which was also marked by goals from Sebastien Haller and Noussair Mazraoui and an own goal by Bart van Rooij, according to the Dutch League's official website.

Against NEC, who have been out of the top flight for four years, Erik ten Hag's side were aggressive from the start and took the lead in the sixth minute through Haller's flick through Mazraoui's cross.

Four minutes later it was Mazraoui's turn to score with his header welcoming a cross from Tadic to double Ajax's lead.

Ajax extended their lead to 3-0 in the 14th minute after VAR declared that Van Rooij's clearance had crossed the NEC line for an own goal.

Ajax's dominance continued and Tadic made it 4-0 in the 20th minute taking advantage of a corner that the visitors' defense failed to anticipate.

Six minutes before the break, Tadic scored his second using a pass from Steven Berghuis, the former Feyenoord captain who decided to defect to Ajax, further widening the hosts' lead to 5-0.

The second half remained one-way and Ajax made at least eight more attempted shots, but none of them scored and the 5-0 scoreline remained unchanged until the game was over. Ajax will next travel to Twente's headquarters on Sunday (22/8) next week, two days after NEC host PEC Zwolle.