A Grand Hat-Trick and a Perfect 10 for Oscar Gloukh: "This Is How You Identify a Great Footballer"

A few months ago, there were quite a few voices calling for Ajax to part ways with Oscar Gloukh. On Thursday, it seems the Israeli midfielder provided the best answer one could ask for. With a spectacular hat-trick within 18 minutes, he led Ajax to a 4:1 victory over Serbian side Vojvodina and an impressive qualification for the third qualifying round of the Conference League with an 8:2 aggregate score.

Gloukh, who also scored in the first leg, continued his excellent form and was the central figure on the pitch. In the 53rd minute, he completed Ajax's comeback after receiving a pass from Mika Godts and firing powerfully into the top corner. Five minutes later, he completed a brace, breaking towards the box and sending a wonderful strike with the outside of his right foot into the far corner. In the 71st minute, he capped off his great evening with a third goal, after reaching a cross and shooting powerfully into the top of the net. This was the second hat-trick of Gloukh's career and his first for Ajax.

Beyond the three goals, he provided a particularly dominant performance with a perfect 10 rating on the Sofascore website. The midfielder shot five times at goal, four of them on target, completed 33 out of 36 passes, created two key opportunities and touched the ball 52 times in the 73 minutes he played.

In 'De Telegraaf', they did not spare the compliments: "As it looks so far, this is going to be Oscar's season. It's fun to see that Mitchell is managing to get the best out of him. Many fans demanded he leave, but he is an excellent player who brings added value when used correctly." The 'Inside020' website also wrote: "Gloukh scores again and again. He proves himself to be a very important player every time Ajax plays in Europe."

One of the biggest praisers was former Ajax and Netherlands national team player Jan van Halst. "The first goal, where he lets the ball drop and finishes with the inside of his right foot, is a very high-level technical execution," said Van Halst. "You could also blast a ball like that into the stands, but he has such a soft foot. You can't shoot it better than that. That's how you identify a great footballer."

"The coaching staff shouldn't have placed him on the left wing. There, he just gets lost. If they want defensive work from him, it's enough for him to press near the striker. You don't need to load him with complicated tasks," Van Halst added.

Gloukh himself commented on his performance: "The second goal, scored with the outside of my boot, was instinct. I use this technique a lot in passes during matches, but this is the first time I've scored like that." When asked what had changed compared to the previous season, he replied: "I always played with confidence, but I think this year we are better with the ball. My strengths are in the front part of the pitch, and I just enjoy the game. And that is the most important thing - to enjoy football."