Ajax Dominates Fortuna Sittard 5-1 with Julian Brandt's Stunning Volley

Julian Brandt lashed in a stunning volley and Ajax roared back to life with a ruthless 5-1 win over Fortuna Sittard in the Eredivisie – but the German playmaker barely raised an arm to celebrate.

Marc ter Stegen had just kept Ajax level with a sharp stop to deny Ole Romeny when Brandt struck on 35 minutes, thundering a dropping ball into the net to ignite a dominant away performance. It was the kind of finish that usually brings chaos: team-mates piling in, arms aloft, noise. Brandt stayed almost still.

Ajax would need more. Anthony Descotte dragged Fortuna back into it after the interval, briefly unsettling the visitors and punishing one of several loose spells in possession that irritated Brandt throughout the afternoon.

That equaliser jolted Ajax. The response was brutal.

Thilo Kehrer powered them back in front, Davy Klaassen added another, and Kasper Dolberg joined the party as the visitors tore through a tiring Fortuna side. Youri Baas completed the rout, turning a nervy second half into a statement victory after last week’s domestic defeat.

The scoreline looked emphatic. Brandt’s mood did not.

Speaking to ESPN NL after the game, the 30-year-old admitted his muted reaction to that spectacular opener came from annoyance, not humility. He felt he had let basic details slip in the early stages.

"I wasn't really happy with my performance in the first half," Brandt said. "I had some sloppy balls and easy passes that I wasn't happy with. For me, it was a moment to express my feelings instead of running around celebrating. I'm not that typical celebration guy anyway."

That self-critique ran through his assessment of Ajax’s display. Brandt highlighted how needless giveaways allowed Fortuna to grow into the match in short bursts, warning that stronger opponents will not be as forgiving.

"We have moments where we have sloppy mistakes in ball possession, a little bit naive sometimes," he noted. "It's normal with a lot of new, young players, but we have to work on avoiding these small things. If you concede goals in future games, it makes everything harder."

What encouraged him was how Ajax reacted when danger lurked around their own box and how they found what he called the “door-opening” goal at key moments. Once they smelled vulnerability, they punished it relentlessly.

Away from the ball, Brandt’s message was very different. The frustration with his touch did not extend to his legs.

After missing parts of pre-season, he confirmed he has finally hit full physical sharpness, pointing to recent performance data from the match against PEC Zwolle as proof that his speed and power have returned to peak levels.

"I'm at 100% now," he said. "My physical data, like sprints and velocity, was really good. I'm ready for the busy week in front of us and hungry for more."

A five-goal haul, a playmaker both scoring and scolding, and a team still ironing out the sloppiness. If this is Ajax with room to improve, what happens when those “small things” disappear?