Davy Klaassen's deflected goal was enough for Ajax to keep a two-point lead at the top of the Eredivisie after sharing the spoils with Feyenoord in De Klassieker.
De Trots van Zuid had the chance to test keeper Jasper Cillessen, but Michiel Kramer's lack of pace saw him dispossessed by the Ajax backline after the former NAC Breda frontman worked hard to keep himself onside.
Feyenoord continued to press and came close to breaking the deadlock when Eljero Elia found space to shoot on the left side of the area, but Cillessen was quick to smother the winger's shot.
Despite the home side's early pressure, Ajax almost took a surprise lead as Daley Sinkgraven fired an effort narrowly wide of goal, with keeper Kenneth Vermeer beaten.
However, Frank de Boer's side could have been reduced to 10 men when Jairo Riedewald pulled down Kramer on the edge of the area, but the referee only showed the defender a yellow card for his challenge
A minute later, Feyenoord took the lead as ex-Liverpool attacker Dirk Kuyt calmly guided the ball into the centre of the area for Sven van Beek to score.
The hosts could have been further ahead before half time when Marko Vejinovic's well-struck volley needed to be tipped around the post by Cillessen.
De Boer opted to bring on Arkadiusz Milik and appeared to re-jig his team's approach as he tried to get Ajax back into the match.
His changes had the desired effect when Klaassen's strike took a wicked deflection over a helpless Vermeer and into the net, although replays show that the ball went out of play earlier in the attack.
However, Giovanni van Bronckhorst's men could have snatched victory with 10 minutes left as substitute Colin Kazim-Richards's effort was blocked by the arm of Cillessen.
Chris O'Keefe
