Match report
Ajax and NEC Nijmegen Draw 1-1 in Eredivisie Clash
Ajax
1–1
FT
NEC Nijmegen
Feb 21, 2026
Ajax held off NEC Nijmegen to secure a hard-fought 1-1 draw in the Eredivisie on Tuesday, with key moments including a VAR-offside goal disallowed and crucial goals from M. Godts and D. Nejasmic. The match was filled with intense action as both teams fought for control of the game.
Key Facts
- • Ajax scored their only goal through M. Godts in the 39th minute.
- • NEC Nijmegen equalized with a goal from D. Nejasmic in the 57th minute.
- • R. Bounida received a yellow card for Ajax at the 23rd minute.
- • N. Lebreton of NEC Nijmegen was shown a yellow card in the 63rd minute.
Lineups
Ajax
Formation: 4-3-3
Starting XI
- 26 Maarten Paes (G)
- 2 Lucas Rosa (D)
- 37 Josip Šutalo (D)
- 15 Youri Baas (D)
- 5 Owen Wijndal (D)
- 28 Kian Fitz-Jim (M)
- 6 Youri Regeer (M)
- 48 Sean Steur (M)
- 43 Rayane Bounida (F)
- 9 Kasper Dolberg (F)
- 11 Mika Godts (F)
Substitutes
- 24 Jorthy Mokio
- 25 Wout Weghorst
- 32 Takehiro Tomiyasu
- 10 Oscar Gloukh
- 23 Steven Berghuis
- 52 Paul Reverson
- 12 Joeri Heerkens
- 30 Aaron Bouwman
- 3 Anton Gaaei
- 68 Abdellah Ouazane
- 17 Oliver Edvardsen
- 7 Maher Carrizo
NEC Nijmegen
Formation: 3-4-2-1
Starting XI
- 1 Gonzalo Crettaz (G)
- 14 Eli Dasa (D)
- 3 Philippe Sandler (D)
- 4 Ahmetcan Kaplan (D)
- 25 Sami Ouaissa (M)
- 23 Kodai Sano (M)
- 6 Darko Nejašmić (M)
- 11 Başar Önal (M)
- 10 Tjaronn Chery (F)
- 20 Noe Lebreton (F)
- 30 Bryan Linssen (F)
Substitutes
- 34 Youssef El Kachati
- 9 Danilo
- 24 Deveron Fonville
- 22 Jasper Cillessen
- 2 Brayann Pereira
- 15 Jetro Willems
- 17 Bram Nuytinck
- 8 Isak Hansen Aarøen
- 71 Dirk Proper
- 19 Willum Thor Willumsson
- 18 Koki Ogawa
- 7 Virgil Misidjan
Timeline
-
23' Ajax Card · Yellow CardR. Bounida
Holding
-
24' NEC Nijmegen Var · Goal Disallowed - offsideSami Ouaissa
-
39' Ajax Goal · Normal GoalM. Godts
-
57' NEC Nijmegen Goal · Normal GoalD. Nejasmic
-
63' NEC Nijmegen Card · Yellow CardN. Lebreton
Holding
-
64' Ajax subst · Substitution 1Off: K. Dolberg · On: W. Weghorst
-
64' Ajax subst · Substitution 2Off: K. Fitz-Jim · On: J. Mokio
-
65' Ajax subst · Substitution 3Off: O. Wijndal · On: T. Tomiyasu
-
69' NEC Nijmegen subst · Substitution 3Off: P. Sandler · On: D. Fonville
-
77' Ajax subst · Substitution 4Off: Y. Regeer · On: O. Gloukh
-
84' Ajax subst · Substitution 5Off: R. Bounida · On: S. Berghuis
Match Stats
| Stat | Ajax | NEC Nijmegen |
|---|---|---|
| Fouls | 7 | 16 |
| Pass Accuracy | 79% | 80% |
| Offsides | 2 | 5 |
| Red Cards | — | — |
| Total Shots | 9 | 18 |
| Corners | 6 | 7 |
| Total Passes | 414 | 433 |
| Yellow Cards | 1 | 1 |
| Blocked Shots | 3 | 4 |
| Shots on Target | 4 | 9 |
| xG | 1.48 | 1.16 |
| Shots off Target | 2 | 5 |
| Possession | 48% | 52% |
| Goals Prevented | 0 | 0 |
| Accurate Passes | 325 | 347 |
| Shots Inside Box | 8 | 9 |
| Saves | 7 | 3 |
| Shots Outside Box | 1 | 9 |
Key Match Notes
- ▸ The match's momentum shifted early when VAR disallowed an offside goal for NEC Nijmegen, which could have given them an unexpected lead.
- ▸ Ajax took a crucial lead in the 39th minute through M. Godts' goal, only to be answered by D. Nejasmic's equalizer for NEC Nijmegen just before halftime.