eighths | Going
The Dutch team went ahead twice on the scoreboard, but the Portuguese team played hard to tie and keep the tie on the wire
Benfica and Ajax settled an exciting clash in Lisbon that leaves everything open for the second leg in Amsterdam. The Dutch team, electric and cheeky, took the lead twice on the scoreboard, flaunting gunpowder. But the Portuguese team, in low hours, reacted bravely to balance forces and will visit the Johan Cruyff Arena in three weeks with the options of being in the Champions League quarterfinals intact.
It is not a minor merit that of the block of the highly discussed Nélson Veríssimo in a dispute that confronted two classics of the old European Cup -two ‘orejonas’ raised the red ones in the sixties and four hold the ajacied- that, however, go through dynamics opposed. The Portuguese, immersed in a deep sporting crisis that devoured Jorge Jesús and elevated the until then coach of the subsidiary as interim, were looking for a turning point against the Dutch squad, outstanding leader in the Eredivisie and protagonist of a group stage in the Champions without blemish.
Despite that difference in streaks and sensations, it was a competitive and even match. Benfica came with a brave and energetic proposal against an always colorful Ajax that bakes an interesting litter of budding stars like Gravenberch and Antony, underpinned by Haller’s devastating punch and the experience of veterans hardened in a thousand battles like Tadic. It was precisely the Serbian who opened the scoring by impaling with his right foot a center from the right by Mazraoui that was conceived after an error in Benfica’s exit just after the first quarter of an hour.
two
benfica
Vlachodimos, Gilberto (Diogo Gonçalves, min. 91), Otamendi, Vertonghen, Grimaldo, Rafa Silva, Weigl, Taarabt (Paulo Bernardo, min. 85), Everton (Yaremchuk, min. 62), Darwin Núñez (Lázaro, min. 91 ) and Gonçalo Ramos.
two
Ajax
Pasveer, Mazraoui (Rensch, min. 92), Timber, Lisandro Martínez, Blind (Tagliafico, min. 73), Berghuis, Edson Álvarez, Gravenberch (Klaassen, min. 74), Antony, Haller and Tadic.
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Goals:
0-1: min. 18, Tadic. 1-1: min. 26, Haller, own goal. 1-2: min. 29, Haller. 2-2: min. 72, Yaremchuk. -
Referee:
Slavko Vincic (Slovenia). He admonished Mazraoui, Berghuis, Darwin Núñez, Gonçalo Ramos, Yaremchuk and Antony. -
Incidents:
First leg of the Champions League round of 16, played at the Estádio da Luz.
The blow did not make a dent in the Portuguese team, which tied soon thanks to an action in which fortune helped the locals. Vertonghen crossed from the left with more force than poison, but the leather hit Haller, who had come down to defend a set piece, and went into the net. The Ivorian striker redeemed himself immediately. He sent Berghuis from the left looking for the striker, who was overrun by Vertonghen. Vlachodimos prevented the goal in the first instance, but the rejection fell to the striker, who did not spare the second to maintain his idyll with the Champions League.
Haller, add and go
It was the attacker’s eleventh goal in this edition of the tournament, in whose group stage he signed a full that only Cristiano Ronaldo had completed before. No player had been able to score in his first seven games in the top continental competition, another milestone that speaks volumes about the impact that this burly slugger is having, who three seasons ago formed a fearsome trident with Luka Jovic and Ante Rebic that he promoted Eintracht Frankfurt until the semifinals of the Europa League that would end up fastening Eden Hazard’s Chelsea.
The advantage did not alter Ajax’s plan, vertical as its idiosyncrasy marks. Erik ten Hag has recovered a good part of the essence of that team full of self-confidence that decapitated Real Madrid and stayed at the gates of the Champions League final that Liverpool would raise in the Metropolitano, guided by De Ligt, De Jong, Van de Beek and company. Antony, who left his mark with a pipe to Everton followed by roulette at the dawn of the duel, is a pillion hammer on the right, Gravenberch prints the rhythm that suits him and Haller represents a toothache for any rearguard.
Against such shrapnel, Benfica countered enormous doses of caste. Darwin Núñez caressed the tie after a tense cross from Rafa Silva that the Uruguayan missed by an inch and then in a distant whiplash that went wide. The Portuguese team had no choice but to take risks and Ajax was able to increase its lead in a one-on-one between Mazraoui and Vlachodimos, from which the Hellenic goalkeeper emerged victorious. The Moroccan winger forgave and the exchange of blows ended with a smile on Benfica’s face. Because Yaremchuk took advantage of a rebound from Pasveer after a whiplash from Gonçalo Ramos to beat the goalkeeper with his head.
By now the shock had unraveled and any outcome was plausible. Whoever came closest to claiming a bigger loot was Ajax in a hit by Antony in the discount to which Vlachodimos replied with a fantastic popcorn. But the score did not change and the Johan Cruyff Arena will pass sentence.