Groene Ster — AFC Amsterdam: 1:6, KNVB Beker

Ajax booked their next round with a 6:1 victory over Groningen Ster in the second preliminary round of the Dutch Cup on September 22nd. The away side overwhelmed their opponents from the opening whistle, scoring three times inside the first half alone. By then the result was already beyond question.

S. de Mooij opened the scoring in the sixth minute, then doubled his tally before half-time with a strike in the 27th. F. van der Linden and T. Hovenkamp added two more goals in quick succession, the latter coming just two minutes after the former. And here's the thing — the hosts had not touched the ball for a significant spell by that point.

J. de Kleijn extended the lead in the 59th minute, bringing up his first goal of the competition. S. de Mooij completed his hat-trick four minutes later, while R. Fonseca sealed the scoreline in the 76th. The visitors gave away too many cheap fouls in their celebration, but the referee only showed a yellow card.

Ajax controlled 61 per cent of possession and registered 98 attacks compared with the hosts' 75. They earned six corners to two, though neither side registered a blocked shot or goalkeeper save. The statistics make clear what the eye saw — Ajax had nothing to do all evening, while their opponents were out of sight by half-time.

The result leaves Groningen Ster with a significant gap to close if they hope to progress further. Ajax move on in the competition with momentum, having bounced back from their recent defeat to Rheinsbusse Boys. The hosts, meanwhile, face questions about their preparation for the higher levels.