Marko Pantelic scored a hat-trick as Ajax hit five for the second game running to thrash Vitesse Arnhem.

The Serbian turned the match on its head after Dalibor Stevanovic had given Vitesse an early lead before further goals from Kennedy Bakircioglu - a minute after coming off the bench - and Ismail Aissati earned the Amsterdammers an emphatic win.

The victory moved the visitors, who beat Heerenveen by the same scoreline last weekend, to within four points of PSV Eindhoven and six of leaders FC Twente.

The match started badly for Ajax, though, as they fell behind after just four minutes.

Onur Kaya's cross from the right picked out Stevanovic, whose right-foot shot from the right side of the area found the near bottom corner.

Luis Suarez fired against the bar two minutes later as Ajax sought an immediate reply and the Uruguayan was involved when they did level after 15 minutes.

Pantelic took Suarez's pass from the from the right before turning and shooting home.

The former Hertha Berlin striker scored a second four minutes later as he met Vurnon Anita's left-wing cross with a header into the top corner.

Suarez spurned a golden chance to add to the lead in the 22nd minute when, alone in front of goal, he somehow shot wide, but the miss was not to prove significant.

Pantelic completed his hat-trick five minutes after the break, receiving the ball from Toby Alderweireld when free in the opposition half before running and shooting low into the net.

At the other end Lasse Nilsson then saw an effort graze the left post before Ajax hit a controversial fourth in the 69th minute.

Kennedy had only been on the pitch for one minute when he shot home, although he looked to be offside.

And Assiati made it five in the 73rd minute as he followed up to convert the easiest of chances after Suarez's shot from just outside the area had been parried by Piet Velthuizen.