Ajax beat Sparta Rotterdam 2-1 in Rotterdam to climb to second place in the Eredivisie and cut the gap to leaders Feyenoord to three points. The result was Ajax's third consecutive win across all competitions.
Goals before the break
Abdellah Ouazane scored for Ajax in the 22nd minute. Jens Toornstra equalised for Sparta late in the first half on his 500th Eredivisie appearance. Tolu restored Ajax's lead with seconds remaining in the first half.
Changes in the starting XI
Tolu and Abdellah Ouazane were in Ajax's starting XI after making the difference with late goals in the 2-0 win over Atalanta on Thursday. Ajax's starting XI also included Dies Janse, Viktor Tsygankov, and Thilo Kehrer.
Second-half chances and saves
Tolu hit the post in the 53rd minute. Marc ter Stegen saved Ajax from Mitchell van Bergen's one-on-one chance and also kept out Milan Zonneveld's close-range header. In the closing stages, Casper Terho was denied on the goal line by Janse.