PEC Zwolle beats Den Bosch 13-0 and equals record score by Ajax

PEC Zwolle matched the biggest ever win in Dutch professional soccer with a 13-0 victory over FC Den Bosch. The first division leader equaled Ajax’s record score at VVV-Venlo in October 2020.

PEC had what can rightfully be called a lightning start. After just over a minute, Apostolos Vellios had already found the net with a fine strike from the left, and his second and third goals quickly followed in the fourth and 12th minutes, a hat-trick within ten minutes for the Greek striker.

A strike from Haris Medunjanin meant the 4-0 and through a shot changed direction by Younes Taha, Vellios’ fourth goal and Thomas van den Belt’s first, it was already 7-0 after 31 minutes. And then a goal by Davy van den Berg was disallowed for offside.

The halftime score was 7-0, making PEC the first team to go to rest with such a lead since Heracles Almelo in August 2002 against HFC Haarlem. That was also the final score at the time, but PEC Zwolle simply went ahead in the second half.

Substitute Lennart Thy headed the 8-0 a minute after halftime behind desperate Den Bosch goalkeeper Konrad Sikking, the replacement for injured first goalkeeper Wouter van der Steen, and through Thomas Beelen and again Thy the double digits had been reached after more than an hour of playing time: 10-0.

Then the record books could really be grabbed. Thy added a third and through Van den Belt it became 12-0 in the 89th minute. The thirteenth and final goal on this historic evening in Zwolle was for Van den Berg in injury time.

In the shadow of PEC’s monster victory, number three Almere City FC won 1-0 at FC Dordrecht, VVV-Venlo triumphed 1-0 in the Limburg derby at MVV Maastricht and FC Eindhoven won 1-0 at Telstar. Number two Heracles Almelo can narrow the gap with PEC to three points at ADO Den Haag on Monday.