Ajax secured their first victory against AZ since March 2022. At home, Tolu Arokodare scored the only goal of the match. This triumph allows Ajax to fully capitalize on the points dropped by Feyenoord earlier in the day.

The recent rivalry between Ajax and AZ drew significant attention ahead of this match. In summary: Ajax had failed to triumph against the Alkmaar team in their last eleven encounters, a challenging period for the Amsterdam players. Perhaps that's why Tolu Arokodare's goal was celebrated with such enthusiasm at the Johan Cruijff Arena. In the ninth minute, he once again showcased his heading ability, converting a cross from Abdellah Ouazane.

Tolu was once again selected over Marcos Leonardo at Ajax, while AZ faced the return of Wouter Goes. Ajax found themselves in a favorable position thanks to the Nigerian, but still suffered a setback in the first half. Key player Julian Brandt injured his muscles just minutes before the break and had to be replaced by Oscar Gloukh.

The second half was marked by numerous individual errors, causing genuine chances to go unnoticed by the supporters present. AZ had possession of the ball and applied pressure, but did not overburden their goalkeeper Marc ter Stegen.

In the final fifteen minutes, Ajax coach Michel Sánchez called upon the experience of Daley Blind and Steven Berghuis. For the latter, this marked his first minutes on the pitch since September 15. With these veterans on the field, Ajax held firm against AZ and defeated the Alkmaar team for the first time since March 3, 2022.

In the dying seconds, AZ had the best chance of the match, but after a low cross, Mexx Meerdink failed to connect properly, preventing his team from equalizing at 1-1.

This victory is crucial for Ajax, as league leaders Feyenoord drew with Fortuna Sittard earlier in the day. Ajax is now just one point behind the Rotterdam club.

PSV, for their part, trails Ajax by one point. Behind them, AZ remains in fifth place. Ajax and AZ now turn their attention to their upcoming European fixtures. Ajax will face FC Midtjylland in the Conference League, while AZ will play a tough home match against Juventus in the Europa League.