In their first game since the potentially title-clinching 2-0 win over PSV, Ajax played their first game at home since the 2-2 draw against AZ on March 16th.
Danish right-back Anton Gaaei continued to sit out his suspension against NAC Breda, giving Lucas Rosa his second straight Eredivisie start. Manager Francesco Farioli kept captain Jordan Henderson on the bench due to slight fitness concerns and started Steven Berghuis in his place. Turkish centre-half Ahmetcan Kaplan filled in for the injured Youri Baas, whilst 18-year-old Don-Angelo Konadu made his full Eredivisie debut due to Brian Brobbey's suspension. Wout Weghorst returned to the matchday squad after battling a foot injury.
NAC Breda, who handed Ajax their first Eredivisie defeat back in August when captain Jan Van den Bergh headed in a 91st-minute winner, got off to a hot start when Leo Sauer skillfully beat a handful of Ajax defenders and slotted the ball into the right-hand corner.
Read more about Leo Sauer and the promise the young Slovak holds in our FlashFocus feature
Ajax put NAC under additional pressure and first came close to equalising when a Jorrel Hato cross nearly ricocheted into the visitors' net, but the crossbar stood in the way.
A costly mistake by goalkeeper Roy Kortsmit got NAC into serious trouble. The stopper, who made his first Eredivisie appearance in eight years, could only stop Konadu by pulling the young striker down inside the box after first losing the ball.
Midfielder Kenneth Taylor, who shared the title of Ajax's top scorer with eight goals, was trusted to take the penalty and calmly put the ball in the left corner, pulling Ajax alongside after 32 minutes.
It would only take Ajax two more minutes to take the lead as strong play from Don-Angelo Konadu allowed Kenneth Taylor to find space, find Konadu again, who then set Steven Berghuis up for an easy shot at the 2-1 from close range.
A tame second half got some life injected into it when Wout Weghorst returned on the pitch after missing the previous two months due to injury.
17-year-old Jorthy Mokio, who came on alongside Weghorst, would put the game to bed in the 76th minute when Kenneth Taylor sent a precise pass into NAC's box, where Mokio made an eager run and scored to become Ajax's youngest goal scorer in the Eredivisie since Clarence Seedorf.
Ajax saw out the match in calm fashion, keeping the 9-point lead in the Eredivisie over PSV alive. The Dutch record champions continue their Eredivisie campaign in Tilburg next week, where poorly Willem II will look to boost their confidence amidst a relegation battle with a famous win over Ajax.
With the loss, NAC Breda officially drop to 15th and sees their winless streak extend to seven Eredivisie games. Their lone league win in 2025 came against FC Twente mid-January, leaving the promoted side just six points clear of the relegation zone.