Struggling 10-man AEK outclassed by Ajax
Struggling 10-man AEK outclassed by Ajax
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE - MATCHDAY 5
SuperLeague crisis club AEK were outplayed on the Champions League stage once again on Tuesday as Dutch masters Ajax came away from the Olympic Stadium in Athens with a easy 2-0 win in their Group E clash.
A second-half double from Dusan Tadić sealed victory and passage to the knock-out stages for Erik Ten Hag’s side, while a solid but uninspiring AEK team offered little goal threat and had Marko Livaja sent-off after 67 minutes.
It was Livaja who gave away the crucial penalty after the Croatian was penalized for a handball that lead to Ajax’s opening goal, picking up a second yellow card and being dismissed for his troubles.
While Ajax can now bask in the glory of making it through to the next phase with a game to spare, AEK remain pointless at the bottom of the section after suffering five straight defeats, and their domestic troubles make it far from a happy time for the club’s fans. The loss means AEK’s European journey will be over after their final match away to Benfica in December.
THE MATCH
AEK came into this match pointless and with plenty to prove, having also slumped to seventh in the SuperLeague after losing 2-1 to Panaitolikos last weekend, but once again Ouzounidis’ players looked a little out of their depth in this competition as Ajax dominated proceedings in the opening half.
For all their possession, however, Ajax failed to produce significant clear-cut scoring opportunities, while AEK took on the task of trying to limit David Neres and Noussair Mazraoui of making free runs down the left hand side.
The visitors’ best moment came in the 27th minute and Neres was the protagonist as his shot was saved well by AEK goalkeeper Vasilis Barkas.
Frenkie de Jong anticipated the 21-year-old's run into the box cleverly, sending a curling cross over the static home defence. However Neres was unable to apply enough power to the finish, and headed straight at Barkas with the goal at his mercy.
AEK continued to remain on the backfoot, but there were a few hearts in mouths among the Ajax ranks just before the stroke of half-time when goalkeeper Andre Onana was called upon to make a save.
Panic reigned in the Ajax penalty area when Rodrigo Galo's cross evaded Matthijs De Ligt and found its way to Ezequiel Ponce, but his first touch was heavy and Onana was quick to sprint off his line and nick it off the forward's toes, scooping the ball up at the second attempt with Kostas Galanopoulos waiting to pounce.
The pattern of the game continued into the second half, with the Dutch visitors looking the more threatening side, and they almost got a breakthrough two minutes after the hour mark but AEK were saved by the woodwork as Donny Van de Beek’s shot came back of Barkas’ left post.
AEK’s resistance was finally broken five minutes later when Ajax were awarded a penalty after Marko Livaja was adjudged to have handled Lasse Schöne's delivery. The Croatian international was shown his second booking of the match and subsequently was sent-off.
Dusan Tadić stepped up to coolly despatch the penalty left-footed, sending Barkas the wrong way. The home custodian realised his mistake too late, and could only watch as the spot-kick flew past his outstretched left arm.
Ajax then doubled their advantage in just over four minutes and it was Tadić again on target. The 30-year-old Serbian striker was left with a simple tap-in following an unselfish Klaas Jan Huntelaar pass just inside the penalty area. Neres had caused confusion in the home defence, latching onto De Ligt's searching ball from defence, before turning a defender with his back to goal and laying the ball off for the Ajax sub.
AEK came within a whisker of getting a goal back with four minutes left when substitute Lucas Boye went on a mazy run through the heart of the Ajax defence before unleashing a fierce shot which was brilliantly parried away by Onana.
But even that would have brought little cheer to what was another desperately disappointing Champions League night for AEK.
STARTING LINEUPS
AEK: 1 Barkas(GK), 2 Bakakis, 4 Oikonomou, 19 Chygrynskiy, 23 Hult, 12 Rodrigo Galo, 25 Galanopoulos, 95 Alef, 20 Mantalos(C), 22 Ponce, 10 Livaja
Ajax: 24 Onana(GK), 4 De Ligt(C), 5 Wöber. 6 Van de Beek, 7 Neres, 10 Tadić, 12 Mazraoui, 17 Blind, 20 Schöne, 21 F. de Jong, 25 Dolberg
by Graham Wood
Image Source: onsports.gr
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