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Ajax managed to avoid a painful defeat against Bodø/Glimt in the interim round of the Conference League with two goals in injury time: 2-2. Substitute Branco van den Boomen converted a penalty in the 91st minute, and Steven Berghuis scored the equalizer in the 97th minute.
Ajax lost to amateur team USV Hercules in the second round of the Dutch Cup, the KNVB Beker, on Thursday in one of the biggest shock results in Dutch football. The amateurs went 2-0 up before the Amsterdammers scored twice in the last ten minutes to level it before Mats Grotenberg scored a dramatic late winning goal in the 93rd minute. Ajax manager John Van't Schip rotated his side to give youngster Tristan Gooijer his first start and gave Georgian big-money signing Georges Mikautadze a rare start.
Ajax defeated AEK Athens 3-1 in the Johan Cruijff Arena on Thursday to qualify for the next round of the Conference League. The Amsterdammers needed to beat AEK to finish third in their Europa League group, which they did due to goals from Chuba Akpom and Kenneth Taylor. Ajax was missing two of their most experienced players, Steven Berghuis and captain Steven Bergwijn. Berghuis was suspended after getting sent off in the last European match against Olympique Marseille. Bergwijn is injured. Chuba Akpom and Carlos Forbs replaced them.