Maarten Paes starts as Ajax reach Conference League play-offs

Indonesian national team goalkeeper Maarten Paes played as a starter for Ajax Amsterdam in their 2-2 draw against Ireland's Shelbourne FC. This result, achieved in the second leg of the third qualifying round, was enough to send Ajax to the Conference League play-off round with a 5-3 aggregate victory, following their 3-1 win in the first leg.

Ajax coach Míchel Sanchez opted to start Paes, who replaced Marc ter Stegen due to the latter not being fully fit. Paes' performance was under scrutiny during the tightly contested match. Ajax took the lead in the 20th minute through Julian Brandt, whose powerful corner kick went directly into the net. However, Shelbourne equalized shortly after when Evan Caffrey's shot deflected off an Ajax player, deceiving Paes.

Paes then made a crucial save, denying Rodrigo Freitas's header that could have given Shelbourne the lead. Ajax regained their advantage before halftime with a goal from Anton Gaaei, whose fierce shot beat Shelbourne's goalkeeper, Eddie Beach. The score remained 2-1 until the break.

In the second half, Ajax appeared less convincing and faced increased pressure. Shelbourne had a goal disallowed for offside after a VAR review, but they eventually found an equalizer in the final minutes. Substitute Sean Moore scored, beating Caio Henrique and firing a shot into the far corner, past Paes. The match concluded at 2-2.

Ajax is now set to face Swiss club FC Sion in the play-off round. The first leg is scheduled for August 21st, with Ajax playing away first. The return leg will be held a week later at Ajax's home ground. FC Sion advanced to the play-offs after defeating FC Noah of Armenia.