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Ajax
UCL

Ajax v Benfica - as it happened

José Manuel Moya 3 years ago 8.2k
Ajax v Benfica, UCL 2021/22 last 16, second leg, 15/03/2022 - Official line-ups. BeSoccer

Join us for live coverage of the Champions League last 16 clash between Ajax and Benfica from the Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam. After the draw in the first leg in Portugal, it's all to play for in this exciting match in Amsterdam.

List of goalscorers

0 - 1
77'
Darwin Núñez

Match report in news

End of match

  • 99'
    FT: Ajax 0-1 Benfica! It's all over and Benfica are through! A backs-to-the-wall showing from the Portuguese side, and Nuñez's goal 13 minutes from the end gave them a win which takes them into the last eight!

  • 98'
    Brobbey is flagged for offside. It looked as though Brobbey had a huge chance, denied by Vlachodimos with a superb stop – but the flag was up regardless.
  • 97'
    Ajax sub: Kudus on for Timber.

Yellow card

a Ajax
  • 95'
    Gravenberch is shown a yellow card.

Yellow card

a Ajax
  • 95'
    Blind is shown a yellow card.

Substitution

at Benfica
  • 92'
    Benfica sub: Lazaro on for Gilberto.

Substitution

at Benfica
  • 91'
    Benfica sub: Bernardo replaces Ramos.
  • 90'
    Vertonghen heads away brilliantly in front of Haller, then as the ball comes back in to the Ajax hotshot, the Belgian defender gets the first touch and the ball comes off Haller and goes behind.
  • 89'
    Ajax are virtually camped in the Benfica half. Yet still, the Red Eagles back line holds firm.
  • 87'
    Brobbey is flagged for offside.

Yellow card

a Ajax
  • 83'
    Timber is shown a yellow card for a bad foul on Nico Otamendi.

Substitution

at Ajax

Substitution

at Ajax
  • 82'
    Ajax double sub: Brobbey and Klaassen take the field on for Edson Alvarez and Berghuis.

Substitution

at Benfica
  • 81'
    Benfica sub: Diogo Golcalves on for Darwin Nuñez.
Goaaaaaal!
de Benfica en el 77'
  • 77'
    GOAL for Benfica! The visitors have the lead! Benfica have the lead! Alvarez is adjudged to have brought down Goncalo Ramos on the right-hand side and Grimaldo sends in the free-kick. It's a wonderful delivery, and Nuñez gets a jump on his marker, Timber, and gets to the ball before Onana, glancing a header in to give Benfica the lead both on the night and in the tie!

Substitution

at Benfica
  • 72'
    Benfica sub: Yaremchuk replaces Everton.

Yellow card

a Benfica
  • 67'
    Goncalo Ramos is cautioned by the referee for a foul on Gravenberch.
  • 62'
    Good play from Ajax, a superb run on the overlap from Blind on the left and he digs a cross out from the byline for Antony to head goalwards but he just sends it over the top.
  • 58'
    Chance! The corner is swung in from the left and flicked on by Otamendi at the near post and his centre-back partner arrives at on the far side but can only send his header wide from seven metres out.
  • 57'
    Corner awarded to Benfica.
  • 52'
    Haller heads over after Tadic's cross from the left. He may have been offside anyway, but the story of this move was from the big striker earlier in the move, who showed great strength, touch and pace to win the ball and lay it off to Tadic. Best we've seen from him so far tonight.
  • 51'
    Berghuis' corner is cleared at the near post.
  • 49'
    Tadic is penalised for a foul on Gilberto.
  • 48'
    A lovely turn from Tadic on the edge of the penalty area, takes another touch to shift it out of his feet and strikes but it's just off target.
  • 46'
    The second half is under way and we have a change for Benfica as Meite comes on for Taarabt, who struggled to get a foothold in the game.
  • 45'
    Benfica HT sub: Meite on for Taarabt.
  • 45'
    HT: Ajax 0-0 Benfica! All square at the break after a half dominated by Ajax, but with very few clear-cut chances to report. Haller had a goal chalked off for an offside in the build-up, but aside from that he's been unable to have much of an impact. Long-range strikes from Antony and Gravenberch have called Vlachodimos into action, but so far there's no breakthrough for Ajax, and although Benfica are yet to really test them, all the time it's all square they will remain a threat on the break.

  • 45'
    45+2: More good play on the Ajax left and Tadic's cross is headed out as far as Martinez, it sits up nicely for him to strike but the effort is off target.
  • 45'
    2 minutes added on!
  • 40'
    Vlachodimos has had a busy first half; opposite number Onana has not.
  • 37'
    Foul by Otamendi on Haller.
  • 36'
    Brilliant from Gravenberch, darting inside, past two or three challenges and then firing a superb shot from 22 metres which Vlachodimos tips over the top.
  • 35'
    More and more pressure from Ajax, but Benfica defend bravely and smartly. Eventually Antony takes matters into his own hands and cuts inside to shoot low from 25 metres, but Vlachodimos is able to save comfortably down to his right.
  • 33'
    Another dangerous ball into the box, a little bit of a scramble but in the end Benfica manage to clear their lines. Relentless stuff from Ajax at the moment but still no breakthrough.
  • 30'
    Tadic's free-kick is cleared but the ball eventually makes its way back to the Ajax skipper, and his cross finds Timber in the middle. It's slightly behind the defender and he manages to get a good connection on it, but too good and the ball goes over the top.
  • 29'
    Foul by Everton on Antony.
  • 27'
    Great diagonal ball from Martinez and a sublime first touch from Berghuis, but his shot is well blocked by Grimaldo.
  • 26'
    Shooting chance! Tadic hooks a hopeful ball across into the middle and Berghuis hangs back to wait for the defensive header, which drops for him pefectly to chest down and shoot but he fires the effort from 18 metres wide.
  • 25'
    Antony heads back across goal after some lovely play, and it's put behind for another corner, again taken quickly, but Vlachodimos claims the cross.
  • 22'
    Goncalo Ramos meets the next corner but his header flashes across the face of goal, Otamendi collects and wins a third corner in quick succession.
  • 22'
    Corner awarded to Benfica.
  • 20'
    Everton is now on the right flank and Rafa Silva on the other. Benfica haven't had the ball as they want in attack.
  • 19'
    The corner is worked well on the left, Gravenberch touches it to Tadic and Alvarez arrives to head for goal but again he is unable to get the header on target.
  • 18'
    Corner awarded to Ajax.
  • 15'
    Benfica are yet to have a clear situation of danger. Nuñez has had a few touches but the link with Rafa Silva, is having some balls, but the link with Rafa, Goncalo Ramos and Everton is not working. Credit to Ajax for that.
  • 13'
    Nuñez is penalised for a foul on Martinez.
  • 12'
    Tadic is flagged for offside.
  • 10'
    Big chance! Another cross causes problems for the visitors, this time from Berghuis' corner, and Alvarez climbs well to head towards goal but he heads wide. He was unmarked and will feel he should have done better with that opportunity.
  • 9'
    Mazraoui gets a corner for hosts.

Goal disallowed

  • 7'
    Tadic is flagged for offside. Sebastien Haller goal disallowed for offside by Tadic!
  • 6'
    Nuñez is flagged for offside.
  • 4'
    Foul by Blind on Rafa Silva.
  • 2'
    Chance! After the corner, eventually the ball is played back forward and Tadic crosses from the left to the far post, where Antony climbs superbly but his header goes past the post.
  • 2'
    Corner awarded to AJax, which is taken short and comes to nothing initially.
  • 1'
    Here we go! Benfica, in that all black kit, get this second leg off and running. Ajax, of course, in red and white.

Start of match

  • PRVW
    Tadic and Otamendi, the two captains, come together for the coin toss and we're about to start!
  • PRVW
    The teams make their way out here!
  • PRVW
    The fans are starting to warm up their voices!
  • PRVW
    Remember the abolition of the away goals rule in all UEFA club competitions. From now on away goals will count the same, i.e. there will be no advantage for the second leg.
  • PRVW
    Spanish Carlos del Cerro Grande is the referee for this one while Alejandro Hernandez is the VAR.
  • PRVW
    The Benfica goalkeepers have just come out to warm up!

  • PRVW
    Half an hour to go! Are you ready? Ajax are the only team warming up.

  • PRVW
    Ajax are still the favourites, despite a slight blip defensively in recent weeks. As they are a very well-organised side, Benfica, with those disruptive players, managed to take the game out of their control and hurt them in the first leg and must do the same again.
  • PRVW
    This is how the visitor side arrived at the stadium, will they be able to win without the support of their home crowd? However, around 5,000 Benfica fans have made the trip to Amsterdam.

  • PRVW
    It's 10 degrees and partly cloudy in Amsterdam for this one. All set to get the ball rolling and enjoy the UCL show.

  • PRVW
    Benfica's future in this season's UEFA Champions League is very much dependent on Rafa's inspiration and above all on Núñez. Benfica will surely have chances tonight, but they must be clinical.
  • PRVW
    This afternoon we will have a great duel of great strikers. Sebastien Haller has 35 goals this season, his second with Ajax! But Darwin Nuñez is not far behind, he has scored a total of 25 goals! A great goal scorers' battle.

  • PRVW
    It's going to be a full house tonight in Amsterdam, for the first time in this season's UEFA Champions League.

  • PRVW
    Benfica are unchanged but there is a question of formation. Will it be a 4-4-2 or a 4-2-3-1? It could be fluid depending on what's happening on the pitch.
  • PRVW
    The teams are in and there's just one change from last month's first leg. It's an enforced one as Ajax keeper Pasveer is out with the broken finger he suffered in the warm-up in the first leg. Onana comes in to replace him.

  • PRVW
    Benfica bench: Leite (GK); Morato, Almeida, Gil Dias, Lazaro, Goncalves, Joao Mario, Bernardo, Meite; Yaremchuk, Radonjic, Araujo.
  • PRVW
    Ajax bench: Setford (GK), Tyton (GK); Tagliafico, Rensch, Schuurs; Labyad, Klaassen, Taylor, Kudus; Daramy, Brobbey, Pereira.
  • PRVW
    Benfica XI: Vlachodimos (GK); Grimaldo, Vertonghen, Otamendi, Gilberto; Taarabt, Weigl, Everton; Ramos, Nuñez, Rafa Silva.

  • PRVW
    Ajax XI: Onana (GK); Blind, Lisandro Martinez, Timber, Mazraoui; Tadic, Gravenberch, Berghuis, Edson Alvarez, Antony; Sebastien Haller.

Pre-match

15 March 2022, 21:00

Referee: Del Cerro Grande | VAR: Hernández Hernández

Stadium: Johan Cruyff Arena

  • PRVW
    Hello and welcome to live coverage of the UCL last 16 game between Ajax and Benfica at the Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam! Any predictions?

Mentioned in the news story

Ajax
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UCL
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Benfica
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