Five times Ajax-Feyenoord from the distant and not so distant past

Ajax against Feyenoord is, as it is called, always a match in itself. The ranking doesn’t even matter that much, although of course that doesn’t apply to Sunday’s clash.

The two rivals faced each other for the first time in the league in Amsterdam on March 5, 1922. It was 2-0 at the time in Het Houten Stadion, Ajax’s first home. Since then, dozens of duels between Ajax and Feyenoord have followed. Below is a small sample of that series.

Two players managed to make history by producing as many as five goals in a Klassieker. Hans Venneker did it in 1964 at De Kuip (9-4), Ruud Geels eleven years later at the Olympic Stadium.

There are no more images of the 1-0, but to Geels’ delight, there are of the 3-0: a rock-hard header by the striker hanging beautifully in the air. Geels would score a total of eleven times in a Klassieker, a series that began 1967. He scored the only goal in Rotterdam that year – then as a Feyenoord player.

With three rounds of play remaining, leaders Ajax had created a four-point gap with pursuer Feyenoord, so they traveled to Amsterdam with a clear mission: win.

Peter Houtman put the guests on the right track and before the break the striker scored again. It was not enough for a lead at halftime: Ajax had already found the net twice as well. After Andrej Jeliazkov’s 3-3, Feyenoord still had half an hour to go for the win. But it didn’t come…

Without a doubt the most memorable Klassieker finished in Amsterdam. Not least because ‘primal Ajacied’ Johan Cruijff stood on the pitch in Olympic Stadium in a Feyenoord shirt. It was the defector who lost the ball in the fifth minute, after which Jesper Olsen opened the scoring.

Before the half-hour was over, the scoreboard was already 3-0. Yet it was not yet a done deal. Feyenoord brought the margin back to one goal and put Ajax with their backs against the wall after halftime. The goal came at the other end: Keje Molenaar headed in a corner kick. After that it went fast.

Despite the legendary defeat, Feyenoord, whose ranks included 21-year-old Ruud Gullit in addition to Cruijff, did eventually take the national title.

After a 14-year drought, Feyenoord once again tasted the sweetness of victory in Amsterdam. The prestige match – PSV had already clinched the league title – got off to a promising start for Feyenoord with a quick goal from Irishman David Connolly, but the visitors were then almost overrun.

The damage was limited to two goals from Shota Arveladze, then a change at halftime did wonders for Feyenoord. Substitute Leonardo fired in the 2-2, Connoly made his second and Jon Dahl Tomasson put the guests in a comfortable 2-4. Arveladze’s third goal came too late to save a point.

Feyenoord’s last win in Amsterdam was a while ago. The game was scheduled back then in the third round of play.

Feyenoord coach Ronald Koeman had the renowned K2 duo at his disposal in attack, which lived up to its fame in the Arena. Led by Dirk Kuijt, Bonaventure Kalou put the guests ahead after 15 minutes, while shortly after half-time the roles were reversed in the 0-2.

In the 72nd minute, however, Feyenoord player Ferne Snoyl ran into his second yellow card. Ajax soon took advantage through Greek Angelos Charisteas – who would score again in De Klassieker the following season, but this time for Feyenoord – but that was all.

Current Ajax coach John Heitinga was on the bench for ninety minutes at the home club.