Ajax Amsterdam has successfully usurped PSV as the Eredivisie Champion, their 1st since 2014 and their record-extending 34th overall. Ajax clinched the title ahead of the defending champion, PSV with 3 points to complete a domestic double, having won the Dutch football cup, KNVB earlier in the month, they also had a commendable run in the UEFA Champions League, where they narrowly lost at the semifinals.
EREDIVISIE;
Ajax went through much of the league campaign neck-and-neck with bitter rivals, PSV, both teams were on the same point up to the pen-ultimate league matches, only separated on goal difference. However, Ajax opened up a 3-point gap over PSV in the matchday 33 with a win over Utrecht, coupled with PSV's loss at AZ Alkmaar. They made the title sure with a comfortable 4-1 win at De Graafschap in the final round of league matches on Wednesday. Incredible season-long performances by coach Wrik Ten Hag tutored side, scoring a staggering 119 league goals, an average of 3.5 goals per match, a goal every 26 minutes, conceding just 32 goals in the same number of matches, an average of 0.94 goals per match, a goal every 96 minutes.
Ajax paraded some of the youngest lads in the Eredivisie, with an average age of 24.0 years, led by a 19-year-old captain, Matthijs De Ligt, they easily run their opponent ragged with their energetic, counter-attacking display. In their ranks includes Dutch duo, Barcelona bound, Frankie De Jong(22 yrs), Donny Van De Beek(22 yrs), Brazilian wide forward, David Neres(22 yrs), Algerian-French's Hakim Ziyech(26 yrs) and the experience Dutch defender, Daley Blind(29 yrs) and many more exciting and talented players. Ajax's season by the numbers;
For more stats on Ajax's season, see Footystats.
KNVB CUP;
The TOTO KNVB Cup is the Dutch football cup competition(i.e FA Cup). It was the 1st of Ajax's season's achievement, Ajax defeated Willem II 4-0 in the final to lift the cup. Ajax defeated the defending champion, Feyenoord 3 nil en route to the final, a run of 5 wins and a draw, scoring 21 goals and conceding just 2. It is now another record extending 19th KNVB Cup title for Ajax, with the closest Cup winner Feyernoord, coming a distance with 12 titles.
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE;
Ajax remarkable run in this season's UCL cannot be over-emphasized. They started their campaign in a relatively tough group that includes the German Champion, Bayern Munich, and the Portuguese seasoned campaigner, Benfica. Amazingly, Ajax scaled through the group undefeated, won 3 and drew 3 including away draws at Bayern and Benfica in the 6 group matches played. The young side then hit the headlines after defeating the 3-time defending champion, Real Madrid 4-1 at the Bernabeu, against all odds in the round of 16. They showed the footballing world that the result was not a fluke without another incredible result over Cristiano Ronaldo led Juventus, winning 2-1 at Turin to reach the last 8. However, their fairy tale run was ended by an equally amazing team, Tottenham Hotspur in the semifinals.
It is widely expected to be a mass exodus of these young, talented players as the summer transfer window is already here, we already seen a big-money transfer of Frankie De Jong to Barcelona, others are expected to follow suit as talks have been held with the likes of Matthijs De Ligt, David Neres, and co. It is hard to see whether Ajax will cash in on these players or ward off all these European suitors, whatever the case, Ajax has shown the footballing world of what they are capable of. A remarkable season they have had irrespective of their or Eredivisie rank on UEFA coefficient table.
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