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AMSTERDAM. — Dutch football masters Ajax recorded the biggest win in Eredivisie history on Saturday with a 13-0 thrashing at mid-table side VVV-Venlo, who had a player sent off.

The Amsterdam giants broke their own record for the biggest ever Dutch top-flight victory, which they themselves had set with a 12-1 win over Vitesse Arnhem back in 1972.

Ajax had led 4-0 at half-time against the side that had started the match in mid-table in the Eredivisie, before a red card for VVV’s Christiaan Kum in the 52nd minute led to a flurry of four goals in just six minutes prior to the hour mark. Nineteen-year-old Lassina Traore scored five goals in the ruthless success as the reigning Dutch champions bounced back from Wednesday’s Champions League defeat to Liverpool to go top of the table.

The visitors came into the game off the back of the disappointment of failing to score against Liverpool in the Champions League in midweek, with the Reds leaving Amsterdam with a 1-0 success thanks to a Nicolas Tagliafico own goal.

Ajax travelled to 10th-placed VVV one point behind PSV Eindhoven in first and heavy favourites to leapfrog their rivals and reclaim top spot.

But no one could have predicted the extent to which Ajax would dismantle their opponents.

Midfielder Jurgen Ekkelenkamp poked home in the six-yard box to open the scoring after 12 minutes.

Traore headed in his first five minutes later to double Ajax’s lead and tapped in his second just after the half-hour mark. Former Southampton star Dusan Tadic slotted home just before half-time to give Erik ten Hag’s side a comfortable lead at the break.

Things went from bad to worse for VVV in the second half as Christian Kum was sent off for a high foot in the 52nd minute.

With VVV down to 10 men, Ajax proceeded to run riot with four goals in the next five minutes.

Traore secured the match ball with his hat-trick goal in the 54th minute then set up Brazilian Antony to make it six a minute later.

Ekkelenkamp grabbed his second with a header in the 57th minute before Daley Blind took the away side’s tally to eight.

Traore netted his fourth of the match 10 minutes later and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar helped himself to a double after coming on as a substitute. Lisandro Martinez scored the 12th with 12 minutes to go and there was time for Traore to add his fifth in the closing stages.

Burkina Faso international Traore (19) scored the most goals in a Dutch top-flight match since September 2019, when Donyell Malen netted the same amount for PSV Eindhoven against Vitesse. — AFP.