Ajax victor in Greek battle against Heracles to win third game in two months

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ajax/8UOvIwnb/"]Ajax[/a] had it all to prove after dropping down to fifth following a hopeless 2-1 home loss to FC Twente last weekend. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gloch-oscar/fL2jPPPb/"]Oscar Gloukh[/a] was back in the starting XI, as well as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/itakura-ko/xGFA759a/"]Ko Itakura[/a], who returned after two months of injury issues.[/p][p][b]The Amsterdam giants shot out of the gates and grabbed the lead in the opening 15 minutes via [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/godts-mika/CIrbY1Ml/"]Mika Godts[/a], who lobbed the ball over a rushing [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pasveer-remko/0xnrVdqC/"]Remko Pasveer[/a], who reunited with his former team-mates, after receiving a delightful deep ball from compatriot [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mokio-jorthy/lQdp4JnH/"]Jorthy Mokio[/a].[/b][/p][embed guid="e517ace6-b56b-4504-a612-63162fa69849" url="https://x.com/AFCAjax/status/2043042563746111693?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]A well-set-up Ajax attack saw [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/berghuis-steven/8vVtUw90/"]Steven Berghuis[/a] double the lead right after, emphatically firing the ball in Pasveer's far corner after some quick combinations on the edge of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/heracles/bB3JbZpA/"]Heracles[/a]' box.[/b][/p][p]A quiet last half hour of the first half saw neither side tear into the opposition's box and wreak havoc, as Ajax comfortably sailed towards the break with a two-goal cushion.[/p][p][b]Like in the first half, Ajax started the second half furiously and expanded the lead to three goals with Steven Berghuis' second of the evening, rolling it past Pasveer in another successful counter attack.[/b][/p][p]Centre-half [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/baas-youri/jyjasemf/"]Youri Baas[/a] became the hero of the travelling away support by acrobatically clearing the ball off the line to prevent Heracles from adding a goal to their night's tally.[/p][embed guid="49185406-7c6e-4640-b17b-8036a926ad1e" url="https://x.com/ESPNnl/status/2043047590866886927?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]The woodwork stood in Ajax's way twice in the second half, first by saving Remko Pasveer after getting a hand on [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/weghorst-wout/tpWMDFoL/"]Wout Weghorst[/a]'s effort, and again when Mika Godts was kept from the scoreboard in the 70th minute.[/p][p]While up 3-0, a miracle comeback came inches closer to Heracles' grasp when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tomiyasu-takehiro/OSNvjZSP/"]Takehiro Tomiyasu[/a] was sent off 14 minutes after coming on, after bringing down [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/zeefuik-lequincio/WQeHBigL/"]Lequincio Zeefuik[/a] as the last man.[/p][p]Nothing came of Heracles' advantage, as, for just the third time since February 1st, Ajax won an Eredivisie game as they continue to fight for second place and a ticket to next year's UEFA Champions League.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/ajax-8UOvIwnb/heracles-bB3JbZpA/?mid=Y5xFrPGN"]Check the full match statistics on Flashscore[/a][/b][/p][image alt="Key match stats" id="26b59abc-a40c-4bfd-8fe9-99b6067a1652" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="e23c64ea-8345-4efd-8a57-2a61539147bc" original-width="1200" original-height="1200" /]