Friendlies Clubs· Season 2026
Ajax beat Burnley 2-1 in a pre-season friendly at the Johan Cruijff ArenA, with Bouwman and Ouazane scoring either side of a Banel equaliser.
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Match Analysis
AI SummaryHow it unfolded
Ajax made a sluggish start — Burnley pressed high and created the first meaningful chance when Josh Laurent tested home goalkeeper Joeri Heerkens from distance midway through the opening half. But the breakthrough came against the run of play in the 34th minute.
New signing Máximo Carrizo sparked it, driving down the right flank and beating left-back Lucas Pires before cutting back. Burnley goalkeeper Max Weis could only parry the cross, and Bouwman — making his first home appearance in Ajax colours — was on hand to tap in from close range.
Ajax led 1-0 at the break, but Sánchez rang the changes at half-time, making six substitutions including introducing Daley Blind, Davy Klaassen, Mohamed Abdalla and Don-Angelo Konadu.
Burnley, who had also made two changes at the interval, started the second half strongly. In the 62nd minute, a scramble in the Ajax box saw a clearance strike a Burnley player and fall to Luca Koleosho, who fired a shot that took a deflection off a defender and looped past Reverson, who had replaced Heerkens in goal. The ball fell to former Ajax academy graduate Jaydon Banel, who turned it home from close range to make it 1-1.
Ajax responded within five minutes. A swift counter-attack carved Burnley open: Konadu drove forward from midfield, drew the defence and slipped a perfectly weighted pass to Ouazane at the far post. The Moroccan forward, on loan from Jong Ajax, slid the ball past Weis to restore Ajax's lead in the 67th minute.
Burnley pushed for a second leveller but Ajax held firm. Steven Berghuis forced a late save from Weis and flashed a shot wide in stoppage time as the hosts saw out the win.
The turning point
Burnley had momentum after Banel's equaliser, but Ajax's response was immediate and devastating. The counter-attack that produced Ouazane's winner — started by Jorrel Hato's interception, carried by Konadu's quick thinking and finished by Ouazane's composure — flipped the game back in Ajax's favour inside five minutes of the Clarets drawing level. Burnley never recovered the initiative.
Key performers
Abdellah Ouazane (Ajax) — The 20-year-old Moroccan scored the winner and was a constant threat drifting between the lines. His movement to the far post for the decisive goal showed a striker's instinct. Player of the match.
Don-Angelo Konadu (Ajax) — Introduced at half-time, the Ghanaian forward provided the assist for Ouazane's winner with a clever through-ball and came close to scoring himself late on, forcing Weis into a sharp save from distance.
Aaron Bouwman (Ajax) — The centre-back opened the scoring with a poacher's finish from a corner and was solid defensively before being replaced at half-time as part of Sánchez's planned rotation.
Josh Laurent (Burnley) — The midfielder was Burnley's most dangerous player, testing Heerkens twice from range in the first half and driving forward from midfield before being substituted late on.
By the numbers — interpreted
Ajax's 2-1 scoreline flattered a disjointed first-half display in which Burnley had the better chances. The home side grew into the game after wholesale changes at the break, and the effective counter-attack for the second goal underlined the pace Sánchez wants to inject into transition. Burnley's goal came from a deflected shot, but they created enough openings — particularly through Laurent and later substitute Anass Ramsey — to suggest pre-season sharpness is ahead of schedule.
What it means
For Ajax, this was a useful 90-minute workout four days before their UEFA Conference League second qualifying round second leg against FK Vojvodina at the Johan Cruijff ArenA on Thursday 30 July. Sánchez will have seen enough from his deep squad to be satisfied with fitness levels, though the first-half sluggishness against Championship opposition will need sharpening. Burnley continue their pre-season schedule with their next friendly as Scott Parker's side build toward the 2026/27 Championship campaign.
Verdict
A typical pre-season friendly: disjointed, heavy on substitutions, and ultimately decided by a sharp five-minute spell. Ajax's quality in transition proved the difference, while Burnley will take encouragement from their first-half performance. The real test for both sides comes when the competitive fixtures begin.
Match Events
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 26 Jul 2026