Ajax secured a comfortable 5-1 win at the Johan Cruijff ArenA against Willem II on Tuesday night.

Willem II were well organised and made it difficult for Ajax, but after around 40 minutes, Davy Klaassen put Ajax ahead with a well-taken goal. Shortly after, Julian Brandt doubled Ajax's lead on the stroke of half-time.

Viktor Tsygankov made it 3-0 with the first goal of his Ajax career. A few minutes later, player Oscar Gloukh also put his name on the scoresheet. It was a deserved goal after what was an exceptional performance from the 22-year-old.

Frustratingly for Ajax, they failed to keep a clean sheet. Alessandro Ciranni scored a consolation goal for the visitors to make it 4-1.

Kasper Dolberg had a good game, getting two assists and also found the back of the net in the final minutes of the game to make it 5-1.

Ajax now sit 4th in the Eredivisie, three points behind league leaders PSV Eindhoven. Ajax have only lost one game, which was against Peter Bosz's side, but have since bounced back in style, winning 5-1 twice in a row.

In his post-match press conference after the game against Willem II, Michel Sanchez revealed what he believes Brandt adds to his Ajax team.

"He is an incredible footballer. He thinks incredibly fast, and he can find solutions very quickly on the pitch. In doing so, he also creates more time for other players," Michel explained.

"Moreover, he is also incredibly good at finishing. All in all, he improves the players around him. We are very lucky that he chose Ajax.

"It is certainly no coincidence that the players around him are starting to play better.

"He improves the whole team and provides a different gear. He is an incredibly good player, especially in tight spaces. And mentally, he can also create a kind of shift in the team in that regard. And he is also a good finisher."

If Ajax do win the Eredivisie title this season, Brandt will almost certainly play a major role in that. The German midfielder has scored five goals in 10 games this season and created nine chances against Willem II in the 67 minutes he played before being taken off.

Ajax will likely play against a lot of low blocks this season, both in the Eredivisie and the UEFA Conference League, and Brandt's creativity and ability to score goals will certainly help Ajax break down low blocks and open up games. He has already proved this, too.

Against Fortuna Sittard, Brandt scored an impressive goal to break the deadlock after Danny Buijs' team made it difficult for Ajax to create chances. His goal against Willem II was also extremely well taken and another example of pure individual brilliance, which is exactly what a team needs to break down a deep defensive block.

In addition to the quality Brandt brings to Ajax, he has experience at the highest level. He started for Borussia Dortmund in a UEFA Champions League final in 2024 against Real Madrid. 

Winning the Eredivisie title will not be easy for Ajax. PSV Eindhoven are a great team and has had years of stability. That being said, though, having a player of Brandt's quality significantly increases Ajax's chances of achieving domestic success.