Benfica 2-2 Ajax (Tadic ’18, Haller OG ’25, Haller ’29, Yaremchuk ’72)
Sebastien Haller went from Champions League hero to villain and back again as the competition’s top scorer found the net at both ends in Ajax’s 2-2 first-leg draw with Benfica.
Dusan Tadic had put the Eredivisie leaders in front after a botched short pass from goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos left Alex Grimaldo scrambling against a two-pronged attack from Antony and Steven Berghuis. Tadic was left in space inside the box and he fired in a powerful volley.
From a teamsheet that read like an episode of Premier League years (see also veteran exile Nicolas Otamendi and the once prodigious Adel Taarabt), it was Jan Vertonghen’s persistence which earned Benfica’s equaliser. The former Tottenham centre-back, playing against another of his former clubs, twice recovered the ball on the rebound before sliding one more optimistic pass across the face of goal. Haller failed to clear his lines and took a touch into his own goal.
The former West Ham striker had been the star of the group stage campaign, scoring 10 goals in his first six Champions League games, and he soon made it 11 as he turned the tables on Vertonghen with the Belgian international’s slip allowing Ajax to regain the lead.
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Antony counted himself lucky to only receive a yellow card late on after an apparent headbutt was theatrically received by Darwin Nunez.
It was Haller who had the most instructive night and he now sits just six goals behind Cristiano Ronaldo’s record tally of 17 goals in a campaign in this competition. Granted, it will sound strange in West Ham quarters, but there has never been too much serious debate about the 27-year-old’s natural ability. He did not blame David Moyes, he insisted, when his ill-fated stint in English football did not work out and indeed, it is unfortunate that the misfiring Hammers are now so desperate for a forward of his quality.
Whereas Haller has continued to shine since returning from Afcon, Benfica are still struggling for consistency. Ajax, too, might have hoped to make a greater statement having made such light work of an admittedly lightweight group.
Player ratings
Benfica
- Vlachodimos – 5
- Gilberto – 7
- Otamendi – 6
- Vertonghen – 7
- Alex Grimaldo – 5
- Weigl – 7
- R. Silva – 7
- Taarabt – 7
- Ramos – 6
- Everton – 7
- Nunez – 7
Substitutes:
- Yaremchuk – 6
- Goncalves – 6
- Lazaro – 5
- Bernardo – 6
Ajax
- Pasveer – 7
- Mazraoui – 6
- Timber – 6
- Martinez – 6
- Blind – 6
- Alvarez – 6
- Gravenberch – 7
- Antony – 7
- Berghuis – 7
- Tadic – 8
- Haller – 7
Substitutes:
- Klaassen – 6
- Rensch – 6
- Tagliafico – 5
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/A0IGlsF
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