Match Report
Before the match
Groningen's previous five results comprised two wins, two draws and one defeat. Their goal totals were 13 scored and 7 conceded. Excelsior were their latest opponents, away on 11 October: a 5-1 win.
Playing away from home against Excelsior (Eredivisie), Groningen finished 5-1 on 11 October. Their score comprised five goals, against one from the opposition. 18 September: Groningen won 3-0 against Zwolle at home in Eredivisie, scoring three goals and allowing zero. Against Go Ahead in Eredivisie, Groningen scored one and conceded one on 12 September; the away from home result was 1-1. Groningen's at home game on 6 September (Eredivisie) ended 2-2 against Twente, with two goals for and two against. On 28 August, Sittard faced Groningen in Eredivisie: Groningen lost 2-3 at home, having scored two and conceded three.
Before kickoff, Eredivisie's results-based standings placed Groningen 6th after eight matches and 14 points.
14 goals for and eight against accompanied Ajax's two wins, two draws and one defeat across five outings. A 1-1 draw at home to NEC (10 October) was their most recent result; their biggest win in that spell was 5-1 at home to Willem II on 15 September.
NEC travelled to face Ajax (Eredivisie) on 10 October. For Ajax, the score was 1-1: one goal scored, one allowed. 2-2 was Ajax's result against Excelsior on 19 September (Eredivisie), playing at home; Ajax drew, with two scored to two conceded. The 15 September fixture (Eredivisie) paired Ajax with Willem II. Ajax won 5-1 at home, netting five goals while conceding one. Playing away from home against Sittard (Eredivisie), Ajax finished 5-1 on 12 September. Their score comprised five goals, against one from the opposition. 5 September: Ajax lost 1-3 against PSV at home in Eredivisie, scoring one goal and allowing three.
Ajax: 5th, 15 points, eight matches in the calculated Eredivisie standings at kickoff.
Earlier results between these sides included a 3-1 home win for Groningen on 7 March and a 2-0 home win for Ajax on 2 December 2025.
After the match
Ajax comfortably beat Groningen 5-2 on 18 October 2026. Julian Brandt opened the scoring in the 27th minute for Ajax to make it 1-0. Aaron Bouwman added to the tally in the 37th minute for Ajax to make it 2-0. Brynjolfur Darri Willumsson pulled one back 49 minutes into the game for Groningen to make it 1-2. With the 4th goal, Ajax extended the lead through Julian Brandt 60 minutes into the game, set up by Owen Wijndal, to make it 3-1. Jorthy Mokio scored the 5th goal for Ajax 69 minutes into the game as they extended the lead to make it 4-1. Ajax extended the lead 75 minutes into the game; the match's 6th goal came through Jorthy Mokio, set up by Davy Klaassen, to make it 5-1. With the 7th goal, Groningen reduced the deficit through Thom van Bergen late on, in the 83rd minute to make it 2-5. Thom van Bergen (40'), Dies Janse (45') and Lucas Rosa (90') were booked. On current ratings the model puts Ajax at around 2.78 gols in this pairing; they scored 5 here. Ajax are unbeaten in the latest 5 matches of their recorded form. Groningen picked up one yellow card. Groningen: five substitutions. The card tally for Ajax was two yellow cards. Ajax made four changes.