Ajax with game and Benfica by heart. Both teams left an intense and fun match in Da Luz that leaves everything to be decided in the match in Amsterdam following this 2-2. One more bit of encouragement and one more bit of doubt for the Portuguese and the Dutch, respectively, ahead of March 15.
Ten Hag’s men set the pace of the match during the first half, as expected in the previous one. Antony was the great agitator, leaving in minute 2 of the game a play for the highlights of the season. Fifteen minutes later he left space for Mazraoui for the Moroccan to assist Tadicwho had been very unlucky in front of goal in the last month with two penalties missed and a key goal disallowed.
Benfica’s response came from Ajax’s weakest wing. Antony made a lot of effort on the right but Tadic’s physique is no longer for those joys on the left. After a failed shot by Vertonghen with a header from a corner, the Belgian himself crossed once more and Haller scored his own. The top scorer in this Champions League wanted to match his goals in both goals and following three minutes, also in a second move and also with Vertonghen as a co-star, he regained the advantage. Edson Álvarez was able to extend it before the break, but he ran into the post.
After the break, Ajax did not enter the intense pace and aggressiveness for which the Portuguese were betting and they paid dearly. A counterattack following a possible penalty on Timber ended with Yaremchuk, who had already warned before, in minute 71, picking up a rebound that Pasveer gave away to tie the game. He celebrated by taking off his kit and displaying the Ukraine crest on his undershirt.
Veríssimo considered the result as good and Ten Hag, although perhaps not so good, had no choice but to accept it. On March 15 a final will be played in Amsterdam.
Changes
Yaremchuk (61′, Everton), Tagliafico (72′, Daley Blind), Klaassen (73′, Ryan Gravenberch), Paulo Bernardo (84′, Taarabt), Lazaro (90′, Darwin Núñez), Diogo Gonçalves (90′, Gilberto Junior), Devyne Rensch (91′, Noussair Mazraoui)
goals
0-1, 17′: Tadic1-1, 25′: Sebastian Haller1-2, 28′: Sebastian Haller2-2, 71′: Yaremchuk
cards
Referee: Slavko Vincic
VAR referee: Marco Fritz
Noussair Mazraoui (22′, Yellow) mountain house (44′, Yellow) Darwin Nunez (45′, Yellow) Goncalo Ramos (48′, Yellow) Yaremchuk (72′, Yellow) Antony (86′, Yellow
