FC Utrecht Shock Ajax with Major Win, Handing League Leaders Their First Defeat in Four Months

FC Utrecht delivered a stunning 4-0 win against Eredivisie leaders Ajax, marking the visitors’ first league defeat since December.

Following Wout Weghorst’s impactful return in the away match against Willem II last week, Brian Brobbey was selected to spearhead the attack over the Dutch World Cup star. Steven Berghuis filled the right-wing position in place of Bertrand Traore, while Braga loanee Matheus remained the goalkeeper as Remko Pasveer was included in the matchday squad after recovering from a groin injury.

In front of a jubilant crowd on a bright Easter Sunday in Utrecht, FC Utrecht featured three former Ajax players—Nick Viergever, Mike van der Hoorn, and Sebastien Haller—who all had the chance to face their old club.

Ajax initiated the match with urgency, creating significant chances early on. A well-orchestrated attacking play resulted in a defensive mishap by Mike van der Hoorn, who inadvertently turned the ball into his own net following a pass from Jorrel Hato, but Brian Brobbey’s follow-up struck the crossbar.

Ajax displayed attacking intent and maintained control over the game, yet it was Utrecht who drew first blood when Sebastien Haller found the net in the 29th minute. His fortunate strike ricocheted past Matheus, and he chose not to celebrate against his former teammates.

Haller’s unexpected goal seemed to momentarily stun Ajax, as they failed to replicate their earlier creativity for the remainder of the first half.

The second half began rather clumsily until Miguel Rodriguez fired a shot that soared over Matheus due to a miscontrol by Jorrel Hato, and after a quick assessment, referee Bas Nijhuis confirmed the ball had crossed the line for Utrecht’s second goal.

Just ten minutes later, Rodriguez lit up the stadium once more, curling the ball into the far corner to secure his first Eredivisie brace after evading Hato’s challenge.

Paxten Aaronson capped off the remarkable victory for the home side with a long-range effort that caught Matheus off guard, marking Ajax’s most significant league defeat in over a year.

With this commanding victory, FC Utrecht secured their largest win against Ajax in club history, now leading their rivals by nine points in the race for the fourth spot, with only four matches left to play.

Meanwhile, Ajax’s lead has slipped as they face their first league loss since December 8th. They now look to the final stretch of the season, which includes three home matches out of four. Rivals PSV are set to continue their Eredivisie campaign next Thursday with a visit to fifth-placed FC Twente.