There were no maiden starts for Ajax's new boys against PSV, with Viktor Tsygankov, Sofyan Amrabat, and Thilo Kehrer taking their places on the bench. Peter Bosz changed his side in one place after last week's 6-1 win at FC Utrecht, giving Lutsharel Geertruida his full debut in the heart of the Eindhoven defence.
A lightning-quick start gave PSV an early lead in Amsterdam - Armando Obispo sent a diagonal ball to Ivan Perisic, who delivered a sailing cross into the box for Van Bommel. The winger headed it across goal to Ricardo Pepi, who headed it in and beat Ter Stegen five minutes into the game.
It was all PSV in the opening 10 minutes, with Noah Fernandez next to take Ter Stegen under fire, but his effort was blocked by Youri Baas. Ajax were up next through Steven Berghuis and Oscar Gloukh, but after the former couldn't finish a one-on-one with Matej Kovar out of a turn, Gloukh sent a volley sky-high from inside the box.
Midway through the first half, Ajax found the equaliser when Tolu used his big frame against Obsipo, got the ball back after a challenge from Fernandez and chipped it past Kovar for his second league goal of the season.
The goal fully shifted momentum in the hosts' direction, but they couldn't capitalise on it yet as Julian Brandt and Steven Berghuis couldn't finish one-on-ones with Kovar, while Davy Klaassen fired a promising chance wide and over.
Ivan Perisic and Noah Fernandez sent warning shots with about five minutes remaining of an entertaining opening half, with the Croatian curling the ball just over Stegen's goal and Fernandez aiming just too high from afar.
The warning shots did not put Ajax on high alert as Geertruida scored his first PSV goal with five seconds to go in the opening half, letting the ball fly after some wild touches during a corner and watching it soar into Ter Stegen's top corner, with no chance for the German stopper, who was rooted to the ground.
Tempers flare, chances run dry
With Ajax in need of a spark, manager Michel Sanchez made early changes in the second half, bringing on striker Marcos Leonardo and debutant Sofyan Amrabat for Gloukh and Klaassen. But even after the introduction of newcomer Tsygankov and exciting youngster Abdellah Ouazane, Ajax were unable to break out in a cagey second half.
Kodai Sano and Sven Mijnans tested Ter Stegen further in the second half, after which Ouazane created Ajax's biggest chance of the half, lifting the ball just too much as it flew over Kovar's top corner in the 76th minute.
A clattering challenge from Ruben van Bommel, who flew into Aaron Bouwman, earned the winger a yellow and left Bouwman gasping for air as tempers flared in the Johan Cruyff ArenA, where five yellow cards were given before Thilo Kehrer replaced the injured Bouwman.
With Ajax unable to even create a proper chance, wantaway winger Esmir Bajraktarevic closed out the game in the second minute of added time, shooting across his body to beat Ter Stegen with a low effort.
PSV dealt Ajax their first loss of the season and a big blow in the title race, taking home a 3-1 win from Amsterdam - their first since 2022. PSV host Shakhtar Donetsk in their first UEFA Champions League game next Thursday before taking on Sparta on Sunday. Ajax travel to Fortuna Sittard in round 6 of the Eredivisie.
