Ajax has failed to turn the second group match of the Champions League into a victory. The team from Amsterdam still looked at a comfortable 0-2 lead after the first half, due to goals from Dusan Tadic and Lassina Traoré. However, soon in the second half, this margin disappeared like snow in the sun after Dúvan Zapata had been accurate twice. In the last half hour there was no change in this tie, so that Ajax now occupies third place in Group D of the billions ball with one point from two games. An extra setback for Ajax was the failure of Antony, who had to leave the field in injury time with a stretcher after a charge from substitute Ruslan Malinovskyi.

Trainer Erik ten Hag brought a very attacking line-up in the Gewiss Stadium, with Tadic, David Neres, Antony and Traoré. At Atalanta, Marten de Roon was missing with a groin injury and Sam Lammers was on the reserve bench, but Robin Gosens and Hans Hateboer were at the kick-off. The Italians won the first Champions League match against FC Midtjylland with 0-4. The victory over the Danes was for Atalanta wedged between two losses, against Napoli (4-1) and Sampdoria (1-3). In the early stages, the game in Bergamo waved up and down, resulting in opportunities for both teams.

Dušan Tadic puts Ajax ahead from the penalty spot.

Antony fired the first shot on behalf of Ajax, after which Tadic also attacked the goal of Atalanta goalkeeper Marco Sportiello in vain. The biggest Amsterdam chance of the initial phase was for Traoré, who saw his shot go high in a very promising position. Atalanta, however, did not leave behind in the opening phase and created opportunities through Aléjandro Gómez, Josip Ilicic and Dúvan Zapata. Referee Damir Skomina had to hand out the necessary yellow cards in the initial phase, because Traoré, Davy Klaassen, Ilicic and Noussair Mazraoui were banned.

With exactly half an hour on the clock, Ajax had a great opportunity to open the score. Gosens tried to get rid of a long pass towards Traoré, but hit the striker. Skomina put the ball on the dot, after Traoré had gone to the ground. Tadic remained extremely cool from eleven meters and sent Sportiello in the wrong direction. Even before half-time, Ajax came to a wider margin. Sportiello was unable to clamp a cross from Neres, so Traoré got the leather in front of his feet. The striker, who was accurate five times last Saturday in the 0-13 game against VVV-Venlo, worked the ball over the line with the bottom of his foot, where Remo Freuler was unable to intervene in time.

Lassina Traoré is also accurate in Italy and gives Ajax a generous lead

The second half also started with opportunities back and forth. On the one hand, Onana struggled with a free kick from Ilicic, while on the other, Perr Schuurs was unable to crown an impressive solo with a goal. However, soon in the second half, Atalanta brought the tension back into the game. A cross from Gómez reached the head of Zapata, who beat Schuurs in the air and left Onana without a chance from close range. Barely six minutes later, Zapata also immediately signed for the equalizer. Mario Pasalic sent the Colombian striker into the depths, saw him settle with Daley Blind in a sprint duel and fire the ball hard into the left intersection.

With about twenty minutes left on the clock, Ajax escaped a backlog. Pasalic surfaced freely in the penalty area, but encountered Onana from close by. The rebound could not be worked in by Gómez, after which Pasalic was in an offside position. In the minutes that followed, Ajax took over the initiative, which ultimately resulted in a good opportunity for Antony. His bet from the edge of the penalty area was turned with the tips of the fingers by Sportiello. Ten Hag had meanwhile brought in Quincy Promes as a replacement for Neres, while Sean Klaiber had already replaced Mazraoui.

His colleague Gian Piero Gasperini also made the necessary changes and brought Luis Muriel and Malinovskyi into the team for Gómez and Ilicic. The absolute final phase provided the necessary opportunities back and forth, for Antony on the one hand and Malinovskyi and Zapata on the other. However, there was no change in the tie, which means that Ajax occupies third place in the group with one point from two matches. Next Tuesday, a visit to FC Midtjylland awaits the team from Amsterdam, which is still winless after duels with Atalanta and Liverpool. An additional setback was Antony’s withdrawal in the absolute final phase, who had to leave the field with a stretcher after a charge from Malinovskyi.