Marcos Leonardo ends Ajax goal drought in Midtjylland rout

Ajax forward Marcos Leonardo ended a lengthy wait for a goal during Thursday’s 6-1 Conference League victory away to FC Midtjylland. The Brazilian came off the bench and scored the visitors’ sixth goal in the 82nd minute, lifting the ball over goalkeeper Nordin Bakker before heading home from close range.

The relief was evident after the final whistle. According to FCUpdate, Leonardo published 21 Instagram Stories within roughly an hour, with many featuring footage of his goal. It was the 23-year-old’s first strike since August following a difficult opening period in Amsterdam.

Ajax paid just under €20 million to sign Leonardo from Al Hilal in July and gave him a contract running until mid-2031. However, Tolu Arokodare, who is on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers, has often been preferred in the central striking role. Leonardo previously explained that he arrived after 30 days of holiday without training and needed to adapt to the faster pace of European football.

He had also failed to score when starting the previous week’s 2-0 European win over Atalanta, with Arokodare and Abdellah Ouazane getting the late goals after his substitution. Ajax coach Míchel Sánchez has continued to defend the striker and, as quoted by FCUpdate after the Midtjylland match, predicted: “He will deliver a lot more this season.” Technical director Jordi Cruijff had similarly said Leonardo’s breakthrough was only a matter of time.