AFC Ajax vs Excelsior Rotterdam

Ajax dominated for long stretches at the Johan Cruijff Arena but couldn't get past a resilient Excelsior side, settling for a 2-2 draw after twice rattling the woodwork. The standout moment came in the 64th minute, when Tolu Arokodare's leveler capped a wild finish to an entertaining afternoon in Amsterdam. Julian Brandt opened the scoring in the 32nd minute, finishing off a Kasper Dolberg assist. Excelsior levelled through Lennard Hartjes in first-half stoppage time, then went ahead in the 62nd minute via Aymen Sliti. Two minutes later, Arokodare restored parity with a low finish teed up by Oscar Gloukh. Tempers flared late, with Gloukh and Excelsior's Irakli Yegoian both booked, but neither side was reduced to ten men. For Ajax, it means more dropped points at home and an extended frustrating record against Excelsior. For Excelsior, snatching a point off a dominant Ajax side shows their clinical finishing can trouble the Eredivisie's bigger clubs this season.