Ajax won its home game in the eighth final of the Europa League on Thursday evening. The team of trainer Erik ten Hag played an excellent match against Young Boys and rewarded themselves in the second half with goals from Davy Klaassen, Dusan Tadic and Brian Brobbey: 3-0. With this Ajax provides itself an excellent starting position for the return next Thursday in Bern.
Young Boys was taken by surprise by Ajax in the opening phase. Antony should have shot the team from Amsterdam in the fifth minute, but after a low cross from David Neres, he aimed at Guillaume Faivre’s feet. Moments later, Antony headed just wide from a cross by Dusan Tadic, while Ryan Gravenberch hit Faivre’s fists after an interception from inside the penalty area. After that, there was another shooting opportunity for Neres, who hit the side net.
After the sparkling start, Ajax had a lot more trouble in the second part of the second half to find openings against the countering Swiss, who opted for a long pass on the fast strikers almost with every conquest of the ball. Tadic still tried it out, but his low shot became an easy prey for Faivre. Ajax was unable to create any clearances in the final phase of the first half, while Young Boys did not fire a shot at goal during the entire first half.
DAVY KLAASSEN DOES IT! Ajax finally takes the lead, through Davy Klaassen. A little help from the Young Boys defense, but a deserved goal. # rtl7 #UEL #ajaybo pic.twitter.com/HuEw9d8CPV
– VTBL? (@vtbl) March 11, 2021
At half-time, Miralem Sulejmani, who was barely featured in the play, was taken to the side of Young Boys, which appeared a bit more attacking in the second half. Nicolás Tagliafico put the ball on a cross from Dusan Tadic with the head ready for Edson Álvarez, who extended with his head and saw Faivre barely save. A threatening counter by Young Boys then stranded on the other side in the nick of time. Antony tried with a shot from the edge of the box and curled the ball just wide.
Ajax kept trying and finally broke down the Swiss wall in the 62nd minute. Davy Klaassen set up the one-two with Tadic with a heelball and luckily got the ball out of whack. Then Ajax’s number ten popped the ball out of the bounce in the intersection: 1-0. The Eredivisionist then continued to insist and saw Tadic first aim from the volley. In the 82nd minute Ajax doubled the lead. Tagliafico intercepted the ball deep in the Young Boys’ half, after which Tadic came into possession with some fortune. The Serbian took the short corner in peace: 2-0. Tadic then saw a marker removed from the line, but substitute Brian Brobbey managed to score in injury time. The striker got a through ball from Ryan Gravenberch and poked the ball in the short corner: 3-0.