Ajax 4-1 SBV Excelsior: Show Down For Eredivisie Still On.

Lorenzo Ebecilio scored a brace to ensure that Ajax keep up with FC Twente in the mouth-watering Eredivisie title race. The game was rounded off with a superb overhead kick by Siem De Jong making it four, whilst the second came from Christian Eriksen. The Amsterdammers sit just one point behind league leaders Twente on a weekend that PSV dropped points after they were humbled in 3-1 Rotterdam by Feyenoord, finishing the game with 10 men to boot.

Ajax dominated possession but there was a nervy air around the stadium, something us Arsenal fans can relate too and when SBV Excelsior equalised out of nothing to make it 1-1.  Big defender Daan Bovenberg equalised for the away side just after half time and I wonder how many Ajax fans almost gave up the title hopes there and then.  But as the news (and video clips) of PSV’s failings filtered through the ground the Ajax faithful were galvanised yet again; huge cheers rang around the arena and the players responded with three goals and real belief.

De Jong’s final goal was a beauty, a perfectly timed overhead kick from 10 yards out in the 92^nd minute. The real beauty was that he would have had time to take a touch and bring the ball down but instead he chose to stick it to Excelsior and boot the boot in the only way Ajax know how; with flair. The third goal was largely thanks to Serbian forward Miralem Sulejmani who lifted the ball over the defence straight into the path of Ebecilio who finished off for his second of the evening. The pass was a real treat for the football connoisseur.

Sulejmani had a fantastic game in the creative forward role under the watchful eye of a former Ajax great in the same position, Tottenham man, Rafael Van der Vaart. The Serb was a constant threat for the wavering Excelsior defence, not often did they play long balls but when he did they were precise and usually consisted of involving wide players, stretching the opponents defence. In fact, so rarely was a long ball seen that even the Ajax goalkeeper insisted on playing the ball short to his full-backs rather than take a long range goal kick.

Given the crowd's chants of “Ajax kampioen!” it is safe to say that this lot are confident. If they win their next match away to Heerenveen and FC Twente don’t lose to Willem II then it will be a winner-takes-all situation at the Amsterdam Arena when Ajax and Twente face each other on the last day of the season. A draw may not be good enough for Twente because they still have PSV to worry about, despite dropping points at the weekend they can still sneak in and win the title if the win their games and other results go their way.

Wherever your loyalties lie it’s going to be one hell of a match on May 15^th in Amsterdam, cameras at the ready; it’s going to be a photo-finish.