Match ends, FC Emmen 2, Ajax 5.
Ajax ended a 1060 day wait to return to the top of the Eredivisie table with a thumping victory over FC Emmen.
The 33-time winners opened up a 5-0 lead within an hour with goals by Donny van de Beek, Daley Blind, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and two from David Neres.
Emmen pulled two back through a Nicolas Tagliafico own goal and a late strike by Jafar Arias.
Victory sees Ajax move one point ahead of second-placed PSV Eindhoven, who they beat 3-1 on Sunday.
Ajax manager Erik ten Hag has already led the club to the Champions League quarter-final in his first full season in charge, following victory over defending champions Real Madrid in the last-16.
The Dutch giants host Juventus in the first leg of their quarter-final tie on 10 April, and they remain on course for a first league title since 2014 - although PSV have one game in hand.
Line-ups
FC Emmen
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 12Scherpen
- 23Bijl
- 33KuipersBooked at 50mins
- 4Bakker
- 22Cavlan
- 10BanninkBooked at 28minsSubstituted forBosat 73'minutes
- 20Chacón
- 6JansenSubstituted forBen Moussaat 57'minutes
- 15de LeeuwSubstituted forNiemeijerat 78'minutes
- 17Slagveer
- 25Arias
Substitutes
- 1van der Vlag
- 2Gronsveld
- 3Siekman
- 8Ben Moussa
- 11Niemeijer
- 13Veendorp
- 26Telgenkamp
- 30Bos
- 32de Vos
- 44Lukic
- 99Braken
Ajax
Formation 4-3-3
- 24Onana
- 2KristensenBooked at 24mins
- 4de Ligt
- 17BlindSubstituted forVeltmanat 56'minutes
- 31Tagliafico
- 20SchöneSubstituted forDolbergat 69'minutes
- 6van de Beek
- 21de Jong
- 7Neres
- 9Huntelaar
- 10TadicSubstituted forLangat 78'minutes
Substitutes
- 3Veltman
- 8Sinkgraven
- 16Magallán
- 19Labyad
- 22Ziyech
- 25Dolberg
- 26Lamprou
- 28Semedo Varela
- 30de Wit
- 37Lang
- Referee:
- Siemen Mulder
- Attendance:
- 8,301
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home38%
- Away62%
- Shots
- Home15
- Away17
- Shots on Target
- Home3
- Away10
- Corners
- Home6
- Away4
- Fouls
- Home13
- Away9
Live Text
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Full Time
Second Half ends, FC Emmen 2, Ajax 5.
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Attempt blocked. Noa Lang (Ajax) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Kasper Dolberg.
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Foul by Kasper Dolberg (Ajax).
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Nick Bakker (FC Emmen) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Attempt saved. Glenn Bijl (FC Emmen) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Caner Cavlan.
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Attempt missed. Caner Cavlan (FC Emmen) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right.
Goal!
Goal! FC Emmen 2, Ajax 5. Jafar Arias (FC Emmen) left footed shot from outside the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Glenn Bijl.
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Attempt missed. Caner Cavlan (FC Emmen) left footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Glenn Bijl.
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Noa Lang (Ajax) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Foul by Glenn Bijl (FC Emmen).
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Nicolás Tagliafico (Ajax) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Hilal Ben Moussa (FC Emmen).
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Attempt missed. Matthijs de Ligt (Ajax) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Noa Lang with a cross following a corner.
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Corner, Ajax. Conceded by Luciano Slagveer.
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Attempt blocked. Noa Lang (Ajax) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked.
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Attempt blocked. Donny van de Beek (Ajax) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Joël Veltman.
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Nicolás Tagliafico (Ajax) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Foul by Luciano Slagveer (FC Emmen).
Substitution
Substitution, FC Emmen. Reuven Niemeijer replaces Michael de Leeuw.