Ajax’s Dominant Win Over Fortuna Sittard: Brandt’s Volley and Reflection
Julian Brandt’s volley lit up the afternoon, but his reaction told a different story.
Ajax crushed Fortuna Sittard 5-1 in the Eredivisie, a ruthless response to their domestic setback a week earlier, yet their German playmaker barely raised an arm after producing the moment that broke the game open.
Brandt’s brilliance, muted reaction
Fortuna actually landed the first punch. Ole Romeny forced Marc ter Stegen into a sharp save, a reminder that Ajax’s back line can still be reached if given space. That warning seemed to jolt the visitors.
On 35 minutes, Brandt stepped forward. A dropping ball, a clean, technically perfect volley, and Ajax were in front. It was the kind of strike that usually sends a player sprinting to the corner flag, roaring at the away end.
Brandt stayed almost still.
Later, speaking to ESPN NL, the 30-year-old laid it out plainly: the goal didn’t erase his annoyance at how he had started the match. He felt he had been careless in possession, guilty of “sloppy balls and easy passes” before finding the net, and chose to let the frustration show rather than celebrate wildly. As he put it, he is not the “typical celebration guy” at the best of times.
Ajax turn the screw
Fortuna refused to fold straight after the break. Anthony Descotte dragged them level, punishing one of those loose Ajax moments Brandt would later highlight. For a brief spell, the hosts sensed a route back, feeding off Ajax’s giveaways and the slight uncertainty that crept in.
That hope didn’t last.
The pressure finally told as Ajax’s quality and depth began to stretch Fortuna all over the pitch. Thilo Kehrer restored the lead, Davy Klaassen added another, and the visitors started to flow. Kasper Dolberg joined the party, and Youri Baas completed the scoring to turn a briefly awkward afternoon into a statement win.
From 1-1 and questions being asked, Ajax walked away 5-1 up and in complete control.
Demands for higher standards
Brandt, though, wasn’t interested in just basking in the scoreline. He pointed directly at those “sloppy mistakes in ball possession” and called them what they are: dangerous. Against Fortuna, Ajax got away with them. Against stronger opponents, they won’t.
With a squad featuring many new and young players, he accepted some naivety is to be expected, but his message to the dressing room was clear: sharpen up or pay for it later. Give the ball away cheaply, invite pressure, and future games become far more complicated than they need to be.
What pleased him was the opposite side of that coin — Ajax’s instinct when they sensed danger around their own box and their ability to produce what he described as a crucial “door-opening” goal at the other end. Once they forced that door open, they walked straight through it.
Fully fit and “hungry for more”
There was one area where Brandt allowed himself full satisfaction: his body. After missing parts of pre-season, he confirmed he is finally back at 100 per cent. Recent data from matches against PEC Zwolle has convinced him his sprinting and top-speed numbers are where they should be.
“I’m at 100% now,” he said, pointing to those physical metrics as proof. The busy stretch ahead no longer worries him; it energises him. He feels ready, sharp, and, as he underlined, “hungry for more.”
If this is Brandt at full tilt — scoring volleys, demanding higher standards, and driving a young Ajax side to cut out their bad habits — the quiet celebrations might be the only thing about him that stays subdued.
