NAC Breda 3-2 Jong Ajax: Reulen Late Winner Decides Five-Goal Thriller
NAC Breda defeated Jong Ajax 3-2 in an Eerste Divisie thriller, sealed by substitute Pepijn Reulen's 88th-minute winner following a four-goal second half.
Published 23 Aug 20262 min read
Match Overview
NAC Breda prevailed 3-2 in a dramatic five-goal encounter against Jong Ajax on Saturday afternoon in Round 3 of the 2026 Eerste Divisie season. An early own goal gave NAC Breda a first-half lead before an action-packed second period saw four goals, culminating in an 88th-minute match-winner from substitute Pepijn Reulen. NAC Breda generated 20 shots and 2.28 expected goals (xG) to Jong Ajax's 11 shots and 1.45 xG.
First Half: Early Own Goal Separates Sides
NAC Breda opened the scoring in the tenth minute when Jong Ajax defender Marvin Muzungu inadvertently deflected the ball into his own net. Carl Hoefkens' side maintained the offensive pressure across the first half, creating ten total shots and accumulating 22 touches inside the opposition penalty area, while Jong Ajax registered four attempts and went into the interval trailing 1-0.
Second Half: Four Goals and Late Reulen Decider
The second half produced intense drama. Jong Ajax equalized in the 59th minute through Diego Pugno. NAC Breda manager Carl Hoefkens responded with a double substitution in the 67th minute, introducing Mats Seuntjens and Paul Gladon. The move paid immediate dividends four minutes later when Seuntjens provided the assist for Gladon to restore NAC's lead at 2-1 in the 71st minute. Jong Ajax fought back once more as Emre Unuvar struck in the 80th minute to make it 2-2. In the 84th minute, Hoefkens brought on Pepijn Reulen, who found the winning goal in the 88th minute to secure the 3-2 victory.
Statistical Breakdown
NAC Breda held 53% possession and completed 323 passes (80% accuracy), creating 15 shots from inside the box and winning 61 duels. Jong Ajax registered 47% possession with 304 completed passes (81% accuracy) and five shots on target. Both sides were shown three yellow cards each across a competitive fixture (Jensen 37', Balard 61', Reulen 90' for NAC; Johnson 30', Pugno 70', Simeon 90' for Jong Ajax).
League Standings Impact
The three points lift NAC Breda to fourth position in the Eerste Divisie standings with three points (+1 goal difference), while Jong Ajax sit in 15th place.