Ajax Extend Lead at Top of Eredivisie with Convincing Win Over Heracles

Ajax cruised to a 4-0 win over Heracles Almelo, with goals from Mika Godts, Brian Brobbey, Oliver Edvardsen, and Davy Klaassen, to take the outright lead in the Eredivisie.

Ajax solidified their position at the top of the Dutch Eredivisie with a resounding 4-0 victory over Heracles Almelo at the Johan Cruyff ArenA. Manager Francesco Farioli made several changes to the starting lineup, giving 19-year-old center-back Dies Janse his second start of the season.

The usual suspects returned to the starting eleven, including Mika Godts, Brian Brobbey, and Bertrand Traore, who had played reserve roles in Thursday's 2-0 Europa League win over Royale Union Saint-Gilloise in Brussels. With PSV and FC Utrecht drawing 2-2 on Saturday, Ajax had the opportunity to take the outright lead in the Eredivisie with a win over Heracles.

Ajax had already taken the lead in the Eredivisie last weekend, courtesy of their 2-0 win over Fortuna Sittard, which came a day after PSV's 1-1 draw with Willem II. Although the match against Heracles was low-paced, the visitors remained in contention during the opening stages and even came close to scoring when Luka Kulenovic narrowly missed the target in front of goalkeeper Remko Pasveer.

The early stages of the match saw Brian Brobbey and Kian Fitz-Jim create chances for Ajax. However, it was Mika Godts who broke the deadlock after just 13 minutes, calmly finishing a chance created by a stunning deep ball from Steven Berghuis.

Ajax extended their lead just before halftime, courtesy of Brian Brobbey's goal, which capped off a well-orchestrated attack initiated by Josip Sutalo and Bertrand Traore. This strike ensured that Ajax held a comfortable advantage at the break.

With the match firmly under control, manager Francesco Farioli opted to introduce January signing Oliver Edvardsen, giving him his first minutes at the Johan Cruyff ArenA. Farioli also chose to rest Mika Godts, who had recently returned from injury. The decision to bring on Edvardsen proved to be an inspired one, as the Norwegian winger made an instant impact.

Edvardsen scored his first Ajax goal with an acrobatic finish, lifting Jorrel Hato's cross over Heracles goalkeeper Fabian de Keijzer to make it 3-0. The 25-year-old Norwegian came close to scoring again, but it was vice-captain Davy Klaassen who ultimately celebrated a milestone achievement.

Klaassen, affectionately known as “Mister 1-0,” scored his 100th goal for Ajax in the 64th minute, calmly slotting the ball home. This achievement prompted a tongue-in-cheek rebranding of his nickname to “Mister 1-0-0.”

PERFECT SUNDAY ❌❌❌ pic.twitter.com/KE4DVPFIg4

— AFC Ajax (@AFCAjax) February 16, 2025

Sunday's match in Amsterdam was capped off with a celebratory tone as two of Ajax's most promising talents made their debuts. Rayane Bounida, who had signed a three-year contract extension just a day earlier, and 17-year-old Sean Steur were given the opportunity to participate in the match's closing stages.

Ajax's convincing 4-0 victory ensured a perfect afternoon for the Amsterdam side, who now hold a two-point lead over PSV in the Eredivisie standings. Looking ahead, Ajax will host Royale Union Saint-Gilloise in the second leg of their UEFA Europa League knockout tie before facing Go Ahead Eagles in a reduced four-match gameweek.

The loss marked the end of Heracles' nine-game unbeaten streak. A surprise win could have propelled Heracles to as high as eighth place in the tightly contested Eredivisie midfield, but instead, they suffered a setback in Amsterdam.