Summary: FC Groningen 2-5 AFC Ajax

A Sunday afternoon in the north, and Ajax decided defending was entirely optional so long as they brought dynamite to the shootout.

For forty-five minutes, this looked like a standard Amsterdam smash-and-grab. Ajax strolled into the interval 2-0 to the good, exuding the smug serenity of a side that treats away trips across the Afsluitdijk as an extended warm-