Ajax has a convincing start CL and leaves nothing of Rangers


Wednesday, September 7, 2022 at 8:36 PM• Mart van Mourik

Ajax booked a resounding victory in the Champions League on Wednesday evening. In the Johan Cruijff ArenA, the team of trainer Alfred Schreuder was too strong for Rangers with 4-0. The best goal of the evening was scored by Mohammed Kudus, who put Ajax 3-0 from the left side of the penalty area with a diagonal shot. Later in the evening, the second game in Group C will be played between Napoli and Liverpool.

Schreuder chose to change his line-up in two positions compared to the won duel with SC Cambuur (4-0 win). On the left of midfield, Davy Klaassen was replaced by Kenneth Taylor, while the coach in the striker position surprisingly preferred Mohammed Kudus. Ajax fanatically sought the attack from the first minute of play, although Rangers still managed to hold on in the opening phase.

The Scottish resistance broke after more than fifteen minutes of play. Edson Álvarez towered over the hostile defense and nodded in from a corner from Steven Berghuis: 1-0. The second serious chance of the match was created by Daley Blind and Steven Bergwijn, who just missed the ball at Dusan Tadic. Then Devyne Rensch should have expanded the lead. The right back was released in front of the enemy goal after beautiful combination football with Berghuis, among others, but he shot past.

The team from Amsterdam did not take their foot off the accelerator and doubled their lead after half an hour of play. Kudus gave the ball to Berghuis, whether consciously or not, who entered the sixteen-meter area. The attacker shot at goal from the right and found the 2-0 through James Sands’ leg. The latter was credited with an own goal. The 3-0 fell almost immediately after the second goal. After a pass from Calvin Bassey, Kudus wriggled past James Tavernier with speed and power. From the left side of the penalty area, he gave his team the fastest ever 3-0 lead in the Champions League with a beautiful, diagonal shot.

Rangers had a lot of trouble with Ajax’s endless position changes and were lucky that the margin halfway was ‘only’ three goals. In the opening phase of the second company, the team from Amsterdam slowed down somewhat, although that did not provide any opportunities for the visitors. The first big opportunity of the second half was for Kudus, who put in a formidable dribble but stranded within sight of the harbour.

Fifteen minutes before the end, Rangers seemed to score an honorary goal. Ryan Kent was sent into the depths over the left flank and returned to Borna Barisic, who found the top right corner beautifully. However, Kent was offside when the earlier pass was sent: goal disallowed. In the eightieth minute, the final chord was played by Steven Bergwijn. The attacker simply played his way through the Scottish defense and determined the final score: 4-0.