Eredivisie: Ajax Held to 1-1 Draw by NEC, Feyenoord Can Move 5 Points Clear

Ajax draw against NEC draw

NEC and Ajax share the spoils, keeping NEC's European hopes alive. Ajax fail to beat NEC, settling for a 1-1 draw in Amsterdam and allowing Feyenoord to gain ground.

Paes pulled off a crucial save in injury time, keeping Ajax loanee Ahmetcan Kaplan from scoring with...

Ajax and NEC shared the spoils as second place gets out of reach. Ajax and NEC, the fourth and third-placed teams in the Eredivisie, both failed to put the pressure on second-placed Feyenoord with a 1-1 draw in Amsterdam on Saturday evening.

Ajax were looking to win back the third spot in the Eredivisie table from NEC without the injured Oleksandr Zinchenko and Vitezslav Jaros, who were both ruled out for the season last week. Indonesian goalkeeper Maarten Paes and left-back Owen Wijndal replaced the pair in the starting XI.

Midfielder Kian Fitz-Jim, who replaced Ajax captain Davy Klaassen in the starting lineup, could've opened the scoring early following a quick counter from the hosts, but was denied by NEC goalkeeper Gonzalo Crettaz with a terrific reflex.

The Amsterdam giants showed little creativity after that and let NEC take control, which led to a couple of chances and eventually a goal from Sami Ouaissa, but the winger's goal was ruled out for offside.

A mere minute after NEC striker Bryan Linssen wasted a one-on-one with Paes, Kian Fitz-Jim intercepted the ball in midfield and set up an Ajax attack that saw Wijndal cross the ball to Kasper Dolberg, whose backheel effort bounced just wide of Crettaz's goal.

Ajax standout Mika Godts profited from the third mistake of NEC midfielder and Ajax target Kodai Sano, scoring his thirteenth goal of the season with his second attempt in a crowded box.

After half-time, Ajax's attack faltered, and NEC created chances. Tjaronn Chery's powerful shot was saved by Maarten Paes, but Darko Nejasmic's deflected shot caught the Indonesian goalkeeper off guard, sneaking in for the equalizer.

Ajax have now conceded 11 goals in the first 15 minutes of the second half, accounting for over a third of the team's total goals conceded in the Eredivisie (31).

The woodwork saved Ajax two minutes after Nejasmic's goal, with a header from Sami Ouaissa hitting Paes' near post.

NEC's advantage was the start of another uninspiring second half by Ajax, who failed to create a single chance beyond the second minute of the second half.

Draw. pic.twitter.com/nJ9JmnvHE5

— AFC Ajax (@AFCAjax) February 21, 2026

Ajax's Mika Godts had a late chance to seal the win, but his decision to go solo ultimately led to a missed opportunity. With Eli Dasa to beat and Wout Weghorst making a run on his left, Godts opted to take on the defender himself, firing the ball wide in the 89th minute.

Paes pulled off a crucial save in injury time, keeping Ajax loanee Ahmetcan Kaplan from scoring with a smart reflex on the Turkish defender's header.

The two sides kept each other to a draw at the Johan Cruyff ArenA, meaning Feyenoord could now move 5 points clear in second place, ahead of NEC and Ajax, who are behind the Nijmegen outfit on goal difference.