Ajax were looking to win back the third spot in the Eredivisie table from NEC without the injured Oleksandr Zinchenko and Vitezslav Jaros, who were both ruled out for the season last week. Indonesian goalkeeper Maarten Paes and left-back Owen Wijndal replaced the pair in the starting XI.
Midfielder Kian Fitz-Jim, who replaced Ajax captain Davy Klaassen in the starting lineup, could've opened the scoring early following a quick counter from the hosts, but was denied by NEC goalkeeper Gonzalo Crettaz with a terrific reflex.
The Amsterdam giants showed little creativity after that and let NEC take control, which led to a couple of chances and eventually a goal from Sami Ouaissa, but the winger's goal was ruled out for offside.
A mere minute after NEC striker Bryan Linssen wasted a one-on-one with Paes, Kian Fitz-Jim intercepted the ball in midfield and set up an Ajax attack that saw Wijndal cross the ball to Kasper Dolberg, whose backheel effort bounced just wide of Crettaz's goal.
Ajax standout Mika Godts profited from the third mistake of NEC midfielder and Ajax target Kodai Sano, scoring his thirteenth goal of the season with his second attempt in a crowded box.
Following half-time, Ajax were sloppy going forward and were first tested by Tjaronn Chery, whose rocket shot was stopped by Maarten Paes. The Indonesian stopper had no answer to Darko Nejasmic's effort in the following corner, however, as the Serbian midfielder took a shit while lying down and saw it roll in Paes' corner after taking a deflection.
Ajax have now conceded 11 goals in the first 15 minutes of the second half, accounting for over a third of the team's total goals conceded in the Eredivisie (31).
The woodwork saved Ajax two minutes after Nejasmic's goal, with a header from Sami Ouaissa hitting Paes' near post. NEC's advantage was the start of another uninspiring second half by Ajax, who failed to create a single chance beyond the second minute of the second half.
The first chance after the 47th minute came, almost symbolically, in the 89th minute, when Mika Godts only had Eli Dasa to beat and had a rushing Wout Weghorst on his left, but went for his own success and fired the ball wide.
Paes pulled off a crucial save in injury time, keeping Ajax loanee Ahmetcan Kaplan from scoring with a smart reflex on the Turkish defender's header.
The two sides kept each other to a draw at the Johan Cruyff ArenA, meaning Feyenoord could now move 5 points clear in second place, ahead of NEC and Ajax, who are behind the Nijmegen outfit on goal difference.