Pressure on Ajax manager John Heitinga continues to build as his side managed only a late 3-3 draw away at Sparta Rotterdam.
Heitinga has been the target of much criticism after a disappointing start to the season with Ajax, with whom he reached a low point in his young tenure after losing 4-0 away at Olympique Marseille last Tuesday.
The former Liverpool assistant and Netherlands international started Wout Weghorst in his first game back from injury, which relegated Oscar Gloukh to the bench. 17-year-old Jorthy Mokio was also given a start at left-back with Owen Wijndal out with injury.
A defensively weak Sparta, which'd conceded eight goals in the previous two games, held Ajax to a very limited number of chances in the first half through tight organisation in the back. Kenneth Taylor tested goalkeeper Joel Drommel in the tenth minute, but to no avail.
Ajax eventually grabbed the lead through Wout Weghorst, who finished a chance in front of an open goal after Mika Godts had received a perfectly weighted deep ball from Youri Baas.
The Amsterdam giants did not hold onto the lead before the halfway point, however, as Baas gave away a penalty after handling the ball mid-tackle. Norwegian striker Tobias Lauritsen fired the ball home in extra time, putting Sparta alongside before the break.
Sparta, managed by scrutinised former Ajax boss Maurice Steijn, found a massive breakthrough after half-time when Mitchell van Bergen, who had not scored or assisted a goal before the game, rocketed the ball past Viteszlav Jaros in the 52nd minute.
Norwegian midfielder Joshua Kitolano doubled Sparta's lead shortly after, calmly placing the ball in Jaros' left-hand corner after being left all alone at the edge of Ajax's box.
Ajax struggled to get anything going in the second half before Wout Weghorst expertly curled the ball into Drommel's far corner in the 72nd minute.
Substitute Oscar Gloukh brought much of Ajax's danger in the final stages of the game and was rewarded for his efforts in the 97th minute, when the creative midfielder, somewhat luckily, received a cross from Anton Gaaei and fired the ball home at Drommel's near post.
Ajax were lucky to grab a point away at Sparta, who put John Heitinga under even more pressure as the international break starts. Heitinga has little time to figure out his flaws, as AZ come to Amsterdam on Saturday, October 18th.
Check out all the match and player statistics from Sparta - Ajax on Flashscore.
