Kehrer's historic killer start! New boy sets 21st-century record as five-star Ajax crush Fortuna

Thilo Kehrer enjoyed a dream full debut as Ajax recorded a 5-1 Eredivisie victory away to Fortuna Sittard on Saturday evening. Julian Brandt opened the scoring before Anthony Descotte equalised shortly after the interval for the hosts.

However, Kehrer restored Ajax's lead with a powerful header on 62 minutes to spark a second-half surge.

Davy Klaassen, Kasper Dolberg, and Youri Baas added further goals to complete an impressive team performance.

Kehrer's stellar display carried historic significance for the Amsterdam club. By adding an assist to his second-half header, the German defender became the first backliner this century to be directly involved in two goals on his first VriendenLoterij Eredivisie start for Ajax.

Speaking to ESPN NL after the match, Kehrer remained humble despite his individual milestone.

"I'm happy for the performance, the goal, and the assist," Kehrer stated. "But the most important thing is that the team won. We had to work hard until we opened up the game, and then in the end it looked like a comfortable win."

Having played just eight minutes off the bench the previous week, Kehrer survived a scare late in the first half when he sustained a heavy hit. The defender dismissed any injury fears and highlighted the ongoing tactical discussions required among the defensive line.

He stressed that on-pitch communication remains essential to fine-tuning their positioning.

"It was just painful, but nothing to worry about," Kehrer explained. "In the end, it is about communication and giving each other the best instructions to defend together and adjust positions. It's all in a positive way to perform."

With Kehrer settling quickly into his defensive role, Ajax look to build greater stability across their backline in upcoming matches. The German international emphasized that the squad must continuously push for higher standards despite the margin of victory.

Ajax turn their attention to a demanding domestic and European schedule.

The defender remains determined to build on his record-breaking start and maintain peak defensive organization.