Ajax survive late surge from ten-man Telstar to claim first win of 2026

Caretaker manager Fred Grim introduced eighteen-year-old birthday boy Sean Steur, replacing Kenneth Taylor following his transfer to Lazio. The visitors proved ruthless early on, netting twice via a deflected Oscar Gloukh strike and a clinical finish from Mika Godts, set up by defender Youri Baas.

Telstar’s hopes faded after their debutant Cedric Hatenboer received a straight red card for injuring midfielder Youri Regeer. Baas seemingly sealed the result with a header, recording a goal and assist. However, late drama erupted when Baas scored an own goal before Danny Bakker struck again for the hosts.

Despite the pressure, Ajax held on, closing the gap to second-placed Feyenoord to just three points. The Amsterdam side will now turn attention to AZ for a crucial KNVB Beker matchup on Wednesday, hoping to build further upon this hard-fought result.