Ajax fired out a warning to their Eredivisie title rivals with a resounding 6-2 victory over Sparta Rotterdam on Friday night.

Defeat to Roda JC last weekend had seen the Amsterdam club fall further off the pace set by leaders PSV Eindhoven and into a tight battle for a place in the top five.

But they responded in stunning fashion against Sparta with goals from Johnny Heitinga (two), Kenneth Perez (two), Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Rasmus Lindgren moving them up to second in the table, six points behind PSV.

Sparta managed to get on the scoreboard through Darryl Roberts and Marvin Emnes but it was not enough to stave off a third successive defeat for the Rotterdammers.

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