# 2018–19 AFC Ajax season

During the 2018–19 season, Ajax participated in the Eredivisie, the KNVB Cup and the UEFA Champions League. With winning both the competition and the cup, it meant the first double won since the 2001–02 season. In the Champions League, they knocked-out defending champions Real Madrid in the round of 16. After beating Juventus in the quarter-final, they reached a Champions League semi-final for the first time since 1997. Ajax were seconds away from reaching the final, until a last-minute goal sent Tottenham Hotspur to the final on away goals.
On an individual level, Dušan Tadić was the biggest surprise; signed from Southampton in June 2018 for just €11.4 million, the 30-year old unexpectedly became the club's leading goalscorer with a total of 38, including 9 goals in the Champions League. He doubled his personal season record for scoring, as well as earned the right to be the team's captain for the next season.

## Player statistics

Appearances for competitive matches only
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Total | Eredivisie | Eredivisie | KNVB Cup | KNVB Cup | UEFA Champions League | UEFA Champions League |
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| 2 | DF | DEN | Rasmus Kristensen | 19 | 1 | 5+7 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0+2 | 0 |
| 3 | DF | NED | Joël Veltman | 14 | 1 | 4+5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3+2 | 0 |
| 4 | DF | NED | Matthijs de Ligt | 55 | 7 | 33 | 3 | 3+2 | 1 | 17 | 3 |
| 6 | MF | NED | Donny van de Beek | 56 | 17 | 28+5 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 14+4 | 4 |
| 7 | FW | BRA | David Neres | 50 | 12 | 20+9 | 8 | 4+2 | 1 | 14+1 | 3 |
| 8 | DF | NED | Daley Sinkgraven | 11 | 0 | 1+8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 |
| 9 | FW | NED | Klaas-Jan Huntelaar | 42 | 23 | 13+15 | 16 | 4 | 3 | 7+3 | 4 |
| 10 | MF | SRB | Dušan Tadić | 56 | 38 | 34 | 28 | 4 | 1 | 17+1 | 9 |
| 12 | MF | MAR | Noussair Mazraoui | 47 | 4 | 26+2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 16 | 2 |
| 15 | MF | NED | Carel Eiting | 13 | 0 | 4+2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3+2 | 0 |
| 16 | DF | ARG | Lisandro Magallán | 5 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 |
| 17 | DF | NED | Daley Blind | 57 | 6 | 34 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 16+2 | 0 |
| 18 | FW | BFA | Hassane Bandé | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | MF | MAR | Zakaria Labyad | 19 | 4 | 2+9 | 1 | 3+2 | 3 | 0+3 | 0 |
| 20 | MF | DEN | Lasse Schöne | 51 | 6 | 27+3 | 5 | 2+2 | 0 | 17 | 1 |
| 21 | MF | NED | Frenkie de Jong | 51 | 3 | 29+1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| 22 | MF | MAR | Hakim Ziyech | 49 | 21 | 29 | 16 | 3 | 0 | 17 | 5 |
| 23 | FW | BFA | Lassina Traoré | 1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | GK | CMR | André Onana | 55 | 0 | 33 | 0 | 3+1 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| 25 | FW | DEN | Kasper Dolberg | 38 | 12 | 16+9 | 11 | 1+3 | 1 | 3+6 | 0 |
| 26 | GK | GRE | Kostas Lamprou | 5 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | DF | NED | Perr Schuurs | 4 | 1 | 0+1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | GK | POR | Bruno Varela | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | MF | NED | Dani de Wit | 12 | 0 | 1+4 | 0 | 0+3 | 0 | 0+4 | 0 |
| 31 | DF | ARG | Nicolás Tagliafico | 46 | 6 | 29 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 15 | 3 |
| 32 | MF | CZE | Václav Černý | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | DF | NED | Mitchel Bakker | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 37 | MF | NED | Noa Lang | 4 | 0 | 0+3 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | MF | NED | Ryan Gravenberch | 2 | 1 | 0+1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | MF | NED | Jurgen Ekkelenkamp | 5 | 1 | 0+3 | 0 | 0+1 | 1 | 0+1 | 0 |
| Players sold or loaned out after the start of the season: ||||||||||||
| 5 | DF | AUT | Maximilian Wöber | 16 | 0 | 4+4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4+2 | 0 |
| 16 | GK | NED | Benjamin van Leer | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | MF | NED | Siem de Jong | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | DF | COL | Luis Manuel Orejuela | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | FW | NED | Kaj Sierhuis | 3 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| 41 | FW | NOR | Dennis Johnsen | 1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
As of 15 May 2019

## Team statistics
### 2018–19 selection by nationality

| Nationality | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Total Players |
| Current squad selection | 9 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 25 |
| Youth/reserves squad in AFC Ajax selection | 14 | 2 | 1 | - | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 24 |
| Players out on loan | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | 1 | 7 |

### Eredivisie standings 2018–19

| Current standing | Matches played | Wins | Draws | Losses | Points | Goals for | Goals against | Yellow cards | Red cards |
| 1 | 34 | 28 | 2 | 4 | 86 | 119 | 32 | 35 | 2 |
| Match day | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | Total |
| Points by match day | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 86 |
| Total points by match day | 1 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 22 | 25 | 28 | 31 | 34 | 37 | 40 | 43 | 46 | 47 | 47 | 50 | 50 | 53 | 56 | 59 | 62 | 62 | 65 | 68 | 71 | 74 | 77 | 80 | 83 | 86 | 86 |
| Standing by match day | 10 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Goals by match day | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 119 |
| Goals against per match day | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 32 |
| Total goal difference per match day | ±0 | +1 | +6 | +10 | +13 | +10 | +12 | +17 | +21 | +24 | +26 | +32 | +35 | +39 | +42 | +50 | +52 | +52 | +48 | +54 | +53 | +58 | +62 | +66 | +67 | +66 | +68 | +71 | +74 | +78 | +79 | +81 | +84 | +87 | +87 |

#### Topscorers

| Nr. | Name | |
| 1. | Dušan Tadić | 28 |
| 2. | Klaas-Jan Huntelaar | 16 |
| 2. | Hakim Ziyech | 16 |
| 4. | Kasper Dolberg | 11 |
| 5. | Donny van de Beek | 9 |
| 6. | David Neres | 8 |
| 7. | Daley Blind | 5 |
| 7. | Lasse Schöne | 5 |
| 9. | Frenkie de Jong | 3 |
| 9. | Matthijs de Ligt | 3 |
| 11. | Nicolás Tagliafico | 2 |
| 12. | Zakaria Labyad | 1 |
| 12. | Noussair Mazraoui | 1 |
| 12. | Joël Veltman | 1 |
| Own goal | Pelle van Amersfoort (Heerenveen) | 1 |
| Own goal | Glenn Bijl (Emmen) | 1 |
| Own goal | Justin Bijlow (Feyenoord) | 1 |
| Own goal | Freek Heerkens (Willem II) | 1 |
| Own goal | Gervane Kastaneer (NAC Breda) | 1 |
| Own goal | Jethro Mashart (NAC Breda) | 1 |
| Own goal | Erik Palmer-Brown (NAC Breda) | 1 |
| Own goal | Ricardo van Rhijn (AZ Alkmaar) | 1 |
| Own goal | Daniel Schwaab (PSV Eindhoven) | 1 |
| | Total | 119 |
| Nr. | Name | |
| 1. | Donny van de Beek | 4 |
| 2. | Klaas-Jan Huntelaar | 3 |
| 2. | Zakaria Labyad | 3 |
| 4. | Daley Blind | 1 |
| 4. | Kasper Dolberg | 1 |
| 4. | Jurgen Ekkelenkamp | 1 |
| 4. | Ryan Gravenberch | 1 |
| 4. | Rasmus Kristensen | 1 |
| 4. | Matthijs de Ligt | 1 |
| 4. | Noussair Mazraoui | 1 |
| 4. | David Neres | 1 |
| 4. | Perr Schuurs | 1 |
| 4. | Dušan Tadić | 1 |
| 4. | Nicolás Tagliafico | 1 |
| | Total | 21 |
| Nr. | Name | |
| 1. | Dušan Tadić | 9 |
| 2. | Hakim Ziyech | 5 |
| 3. | Donny van de Beek | 4 |
| 3. | Klaas-Jan Huntelaar | 4 |
| 5. | Matthijs de Ligt | 3 |
| 5. | David Neres | 3 |
| 5. | Nicolás Tagliafico | 3 |
| 8. | Noussair Mazraoui | 2 |
| 8. | Lasse Schöne | 2 |
| | Total | 35 |

## Competitions
### Overview

| Competition | First match | Last match | Starting round | Final position | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record |
| Competition | First match | Last match | Starting round | Final position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % |
| Eredivisie | 11 August 2018 | 15 May 2019 | Matchday 1 | Winners | 34 | 28 | 2 | 4 | 119 | 32 | +87 | 082.35 |
| KNVB Cup | 26 September 2018 | 5 May 2019 | First round | Winners | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 2 | +19 | 083.33 |
| Champions League | 25 July 2018 | 8 May 2019 | Second qualifying round | Semi-finals | 18 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 35 | 17 | +18 | 055.56 |
| Total | Total | Total | Total | Total | 58 | 43 | 9 | 6 | 175 | 51 | +124 | 074.14 |
Last updated: 15 May 2019 Source: Competitions

### Eredivisie
#### League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Ajax (C) | 34 | 28 | 2 | 4 | 119 | 32 | +87 | 86 | Qualification for the Champions League third qualifying round |
| 2 | PSV Eindhoven | 34 | 26 | 5 | 3 | 98 | 26 | +72 | 83 | Qualification for the Champions League second qualifying round |
| 3 | Feyenoord | 34 | 20 | 5 | 9 | 75 | 41 | +34 | 65 | Qualification for the Europa League third qualifying round |
| 4 | AZ | 34 | 17 | 7 | 10 | 64 | 43 | +21 | 58 | Qualification for the Europa League second qualifying round |
| 5 | Vitesse | 34 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 70 | 51 | +19 | 53 | Qualification for the European competition play-offs |
* 1 2 Since the winners of the 2018–19 KNVB Cup, Ajax, qualified for European competition based on league position, the spot awarded to the KNVB Cup winners (Europa League third qualifying round) was passed to the third-placed team and the spot awarded to the third-placed team (Europa League second qualifying round) was passed to the fourth-placed team.
* ↑ Four teams play for a spot in the 2019–20 UEFA Europa League second qualifying round.
Ten teams, two from the Eredivisie and eight from the Eerste Divisie, played for two spots in the 2019–20 Eredivisie, the remaining eight teams playing in the 2019–20 Eerste Divisie.
| First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Third round | Third round |
| NEC | 2 | 0 | 2 | | | | |
| RKC Waalwijk | 0 | 3 | 3 | | | | |
| RKC Waalwijk | 0 | 3 | 3 | RKC Waalwijk | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| | | | | Excelsior | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| | | | | | | | | RKC Waalwijk* | 0 | 5 | 5 |
| | | | | | | | | Go Ahead Eagles | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| | | | | Go Ahead Eagles | 2 | 1 | 3 | | | | |
| | | | | FC Den Bosch | 2 | 0 | 2 | | | | |
| | | | | TOP Oss | 0 | 0 | 0 | | | | |
| | | | | Sparta Rotterdam | 2 | 3 | 5 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | Sparta Rotterdam* | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| | | | | | | | | De Graafschap | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| SC Cambuur | 2 | 2 | 4 | | | | | De Graafschap | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Almere City | 2 | 1 | 3 | | | | | | | | |
| Almere City | 2 | 1 | 3 | SC Cambuur | 1 | 0 | 1 | | | | |
| | | | | De Graafschap | 1 | 2 | 3 | | | | |
Key: * = Play-off winners, (a) = Wins because of away goals rule, (e) = Wins after extra time in second leg, (p) = Wins after penalty shoot-out.

#### Matches
### UEFA Champions League
#### Second qualifying round
#### Group stage

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | BAY | AJX | BEN | AEK |
| 1 | Bayern Munich | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 15 | 5 | +10 | 14 | Advance to knockout phase | — | 1–1 | 5–1 | 2–0 |
| 2 | Ajax | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 5 | +6 | 12 | Advance to knockout phase | 3–3 | — | 1–0 | 3–0 |
| 3 | Benfica | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 11 | −5 | 7 | Transfer to Europa League | 0–2 | 1–1 | — | 1–0 |
| 4 | AEK Athens | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 13 | −11 | 0 | | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–3 | — |

#### Knockout phase
##### Semi-finals
### Friendlies
## Transfers for 2018–19

For a list of all Dutch football transfers in the summer window (1 July 2018 to 31 August 2018) please see List of Dutch football transfers summer 2018. For a list of all Dutch football transfers in the winter window (1 January 2019 to 1 February 2019) please see List of Dutch football transfers winter 2018–19.

### Arrivals

* The following players moved to AFC Ajax.
| | Name | Position | Period | Previous club | Fee |
| Transfer ||||||
| | Hassane Bandé | Forward | Summer | Mechelen | €8,250,000 |
| | Zakaria Labyad | Midfielder | Summer | Utrecht | €7,000,000 |
| | Dušan Tadić | Midfielder | Summer | Southampton | €11,400,000 |
| | Daley Blind | Defender | Summer | Manchester United | €16,000,000 |
| | Lisandro Magallán | Defender | Winter | Boca Juniors | €9,000,000 |
| Free Transfer ||||||
| | Lassina Traoré | Forward | Winter | Ajax Cape Town | - |
| Loan ||||||
| | Bruno Varela | Goalkeeper | Winter | Benfica | - |
| Return from loan spell ||||||
| | Leeroy Owusu | Defender | Summer | Almere City | - |
| | Perr Schuurs | Defender | Summer | Fortuna Sittard | - |
| | Zakaria El Azzouzi | Forward | Summer | Excelsior | - |
| | Mateo Cassierra | Forward | Winter | Groningen | - |

### Departures

* The following players moved from AFC Ajax.
| | Name | Position | Period | New club | Fee |
| Transfer ||||||
| | Leeroy Owusu | Defender | Summer | De Graafschap | ? |
| | Darren Sidoel | Defender | Summer | Reading | ? |
| | Danilho Doekhi | Defender | Summer | Vitesse | ? |
| | Zian Flemming | Midfielder | Summer | PEC Zwolle | ? |
| | Justin Kluivert | Forward | Summer | Roma | €22,750,000 |
| | Maximilian Wöber | Defender | Winter | Sevilla | €11,000,000 |
| | Saku Ylätupa | Forward | Winter | AIK Fotboll | ? |
| Free Transfer ||||||
| | Norbert Alblas | Goalkeeper | Summer | N.E.C. | - |
| | Peter Leeuwenburgh | Goalkeeper | Summer | Cape Town City | - |
| | Léon Bergsma | Defender | Summer | AZ | - |
| | Mitchell Dijks | Defender | Summer | Bologna | - |
| | Danilho Doekhi | Defender | Summer | Vitesse | - |
| | Ki-Jana Hoever | Defender | Summer | Liverpool | - |
| | Terry Lartey Sanniez | Defender | Summer | N.E.C. | - |
| | Mauro Savastano | Defender | Summer | AZ | - |
| | Nick Viergever | Defender | Summer | PSV | - |
| | Deyovaisio Zeefuik | Defender | Summer | Groningen | - |
| | Reda Boultam | Midfielder | Summer | Cremonese | - |
| | Denilho Cleonise | Midfielder | Summer | Genoa | - |
| | Ricardo Farcaş | Midfielder | Summer | SPAL | - |
| | Vince Gino Dekker | Forward | Summer | AZ | - |
| | Mees de Wit | Forward | Summer | Sporting CP | - |
| | Amin Younes | Forward | Summer | Napoli | - |
| | Zakaria El Azzouzi | Forward | Winter | Emmen | - |
| | Szabolcs Schön | Forward | Winter | MTK Budapest | - |
| Out on loan ||||||
| | Benjamin van Leer | Goalkeeper | Summer | NAC Breda | - |
| | Robin Schouten | Defender | Summer | Volendam | - |
| | Siem de Jong | Midfielder | Summer | Sydney FC | - |
| | Mateo Cassierra | Forward | Summer | Groningen | - |
| | Luis Manuel Orejuela | Defender | Winter | Cruzeiro | - |
| | Azor Matusiwa | Midfielder | Winter | De Graafschap | - |
| | Kaj Sierhuis | Forward | Winter | Groningen | - |
| | Dennis Johnsen | Forward | Winter | Heerenveen | - |
| | Mateo Cassierra | Forward | Winter | Racing Club | - |