The stadium was electric. The rivalry had pulled in a full crowd, with flags, chants, and tension hanging thick in the air. Ajax U-23 in red and white. Feyenoord U-23 in navy and black. As both teams lined up in the tunnel, Coach Bakker and Coach Mark de Wit shared a quiet, respectful embrace.
"Let the boys decide it today," Bakker murmured.
De Wit nodded. "As it should be."
Kick-off.
Starting Lineups
Ajax U-23
1 – Daan Visser (GK)
2 – Noah Willems (RB)
4 – Kenji Okoro (CB)
5 – Ramon Dekker (CB)
3 – Femi Adeleye (LB)
6 – Yassine Bouali (CM)
8 – Timo van Loon (CM)
10 – Diego Silva (CAM)
7 – Sander Veenstra (RW)
11 – Jacek Kowalski (LW)
9 – Souleymane Traoré (ST)
Feyenoord U-23
1 – Bram Koeman (GK)
22 – Rick van Leeuwen (RB)
4 – Jasper Willemsen (CB)
5 – Jan de Lange (CB)
3 – Denzel Fortes (LB)
6 – Silvan Vos (CM)
8 – Levi Schouten (CM)
10 – Max van Dijk (CAM)
7 – Jordy de Graaf (RW)
11 – Mounir el Hamdaoui (LW)
9 – Mats Janssen (ST)
First Half
The match burst into life. Within the first three minutes, Diego Silva danced through midfield and played a slick one-two with Souleymane. A quick turn. A curling shot. Just over.
Femi sprinted back as Jordy de Graaf tried to break on the counter. Fast. Slick. But this time, Femi was ready.
Stay sharp. Don't dive in. Guide him wide. Make him work for every yard.
He forced Jordy to the flank, delaying until Noah Willems doubled up and Ajax cleared the danger.
The tempo was brutal. Tackles flew. Max van Dijk orchestrated from midfield with sharp turns and clean passes. At the 14-minute mark, he sent a diagonal ball Behind Femi. Jordy latched onto it.
Perfect weight. Let's see if that full-back can handle this one.
Jordy cut inside, but Femi recovered just in time, poking the ball out for a corner.
By the 20th minute, Feyenoord were settling in. Levi Schouten pinged a long ball into the path of Mats Janssen, who took it down with his chest and laid it off to Max. The No. 10 took a touch, and with ice in his veins, curled it into the bottom corner from 18 yards.
Goal! Feyenoord 1 – 0 Ajax.
Max sprinted to the corner flag, arms outstretched, sliding to his knees in front of the traveling Feyenoord fans.
One step ahead. Let's see how they respond now.
Femi stood near midfield, breathing deeply.
Focus. It's still early. Don't let the fear creep in. Remember Lars' words — defend with courage, not panic.
Ajax responded quickly. Timo and Yassine began to dominate midfield. Femi started to overlap more, swinging in a dangerous cross that just evaded Souleymane's head.
At the 34th minute, Diego Silva found Jacek with a beautiful reverse ball. The Polish winger cut in on his right foot and unleashed a thunderbolt — parried by Koeman. The rebound fell to Souleymane Traoré.
One touch. Smash.
Goal! Ajax 1 – 1 Feyenoord.
Traoré pointed to the heavens, then sprinted to the sideline where the bench erupted. Femi joined the celebration, fists clenched.
We're not done. Not even close.
The remainder of the half saw high-octane football. Mats Janssen nearly scored with a glancing header, but Daan Visser saved brilliantly. Just before the whistle, Femi intercepted a pass, drove up the flank, and found Sander — whose curling shot shaved the post.
Halftime. 1 – 1.
Halftime Meetings
In the Ajax dressing room, Coach Bakker kept it calm.
"We're playing our game. Keep trusting each other. Femi — excellent recovery tracking. Diego, keep finding those gaps. The space is there. Be patient. One moment will decide this."
In the Feyenoord locker room, Coach de Wit was all fire.
"We had them early. Now they're rising. Max — find the pockets. Jordy, you've got the edge on him — keep pressing. Let's kill this early second half."
Max nodded silently.
One goal. But it's not enough. I want to be the difference. I want him to remember this.
Second Half:
The teams returned to the pitch after the break, the intensity building as the second half kicked off. Ajax had leveled the score just before the whistle, but Coach Bakker's words echoed in Femi's mind — this was far from over.
We can win this. We've shown we can take it to them. But it's about the next goal now. One moment. That's all it takes.
The atmosphere was electric, the noise from the fans outside the stadium reverberating through the walls, adding a layer of pressure to every touch and decision.
In the 72nd minute, with the score still 1-1, Coach Bakker made his first defensive substitution. Yassine Bouali, who had played well but was now tasked with a more defensive role, was substituted for Daniel Möller, a defensive midfielder who would offer more support to the backline. The switch solidified Ajax's shape as they prepared for the final push.
Femi could feel the tension in the air. The team was trying to hold on to their lead, but every pass felt heavier, each challenge more vital than the last. He was beginning to sweat with the pressure.
Max was now more determined than ever. Having spent the first half carefully studying Femi, he knew that the young full-back would be the key to unlocking Ajax. He pressed high, taking on Femi with his powerful runs, trying to lure him into making mistakes. But Femi was ready.
Max: "He's quicker than I gave him credit for. I'll need to be smarter."
But just as Max was about to exploit a space on the right, a crucial interception by Kenji Okoro thwarted his attempt, allowing Ajax to break on the counterattack.
In the 74th minute, the ball stolen by Okoro in midfield had found its way to Jacek Kowalski who floated a brilliant ball into the box for Souleymane Traoré, who powered past a defender, but the shot was blocked by Feyenoord's keeper, Koen Jansen. The ball fell to Timo van Loon, who quickly recycled it to the edge of the box. Ajax's pressure paid off when Ramon Dekker, who had been solid all game, found Sander Veenstra in space on the right. Veenstra picked out a cross, Jacek Kowalski rose highest in the box, heading it past Jansen to give Ajax a crucial 2-1 lead.
Goal! Ajax 2-1 Feyenoord
The stadium shook as Ajax fans erupted into cheers. Kowalski sprinted to the corner, his teammates following closely behind as he slid on his knees, arms stretched wide. The goal was well deserved after all the pressure the team had applied in the second half.
Femi: "We've got it. This is it. We just need to keep it together for the last 15 minutes."
In the 83rd minute, Coach Bakker made his final substitution, bringing on Liam Janssen to replace Sander Veenstra on the right-wing. The stadium seemed to breathe a collective sigh of relief as Liam entered the game — the player who had been sidelined due to injury was back, and his experience would be invaluable in seeing out the game.
Liam made an immediate impact, keeping possession in tight spaces and tracking back to help defensively, his calm presence on the field a steadying influence.
Feyenoord tried to respond. Jordy de Graaf darted into space, linking up with Max van Dijk, but their efforts were constantly thwarted by Ramon Dekker and Kenji Okoro, who were both rock-solid at the back.
Max, visibly frustrated, let out a few choice words, urging his teammates to push forward. However, the Ajax defense stood firm, and the visitors could not break through. On the other end, Ajax continued to look dangerous on the counter. Souleymane Traoré linked up with Diego Silva, who nearly made it 3-1, but a last-ditch tackle from Denzel Fortes kept Feyenoord alive for a few more minutes.
As the clock ticked down, Ajax's defense held firm, and the referee blew the final whistle. The stadium erupted in jubilant cheers from the Ajax fans, who stood to their feet to celebrate a hard-fought 2-1 victory over their fierce rivals.
As the players left the pitch, Max van Dijk caught Femi's eye. For a moment, the tension between them was palpable. Both had given their all on the field, and there was a shared understanding that their rivalry had just reached a new level.
Max walked over to Femi, offering his hand with a nod of respect. Femi, still breathing heavily, took the hand and shook it firmly.
"You played well today," Max said, a hint of a smirk on his face. "But I'll be back."
Femi, ever the competitor, smiled back. "I'll be waiting."
The moment was brief but telling — the two of them had just ignited a friendly rivalry that would continue for years to come.
As the celebrations continued, Femi approached Max, holding out his jersey. "For the next time we meet," Femi said with a grin.
Max looked at the jersey for a moment, then back at Femi. "The next time will have to be with the senior team."
The two exchanged jerseys, each knowing this would be a rivalry to remember. As they walked off the pitch, both teams knew they'd see each other again, and the stakes would only get higher.
The final score was 2-1 Ajax, and the team celebrated together, proud of their hard-earned victory.
To be continued...