Ajax’s European campaign is over for this season. The Europa League quarter-final return against AS Roma at the Stadio Olimpico ended in a 1-1 draw, which was not enough after last week’s 1-2 defeat in the first leg. Substitute Brian Brobbey shot Ajax in the lead early in the second half, after which Edin Dzeko equalized twenty minutes before time and thus determined the final score. Roma takes on Manchester United in the semi-final, which settled with Granada in the last eight.
Ten Hag made only one change in his position in Rome: Sean Klaiber replaced the suspended Devyne Rensch. The coach of Ajax stated in advance that he wanted his team to come out the same in the first leg, but the first opportunities were still for Roma. A shot by Lorenzo Pellegrini missed power due to the effort of Klaiber, after which the ball was in the net with eight minutes on the clock. However, Jordan Veretout’s goal was canceled due to offside.
BRIAN BROBBEY! The substitutes do it for Ajax. Perr Schuurs with the deep ball to measure and Brian Brobbey remains calm and puts the ball in the net. Comeback in the making? #UEL #romaya pic.twitter.com/qogx9ILKwe
– VTBL? (@vtbl) April 15, 2021
It took until the fourteenth minute before Ajax showed itself to be really dangerous in the penalty area of Roma. Antony took possession of the ball after a slipper from goalkeeper Pau López and served Davy Klaassen, whose shot was blocked in a favorable position. Shortly afterwards Ajax got another good opportunity, after a withdrawn cross from Klaiber. However, Tadic’s shot did not get López into trouble. Ten Hag had to make a change after 22 minutes, when Klaiber turned out to be unable to continue and was replaced by Perr Schuurs.
In the second phase of the first half, Ajax did have possession of the ball, but it also struggled to find a hole in the defense of Roma. Dusan Tadic believed he was still entitled to a penalty after an alleged foul by Riccardo Calafiori, but referee Anthony Taylor and video referee Stuart Attwell did not agree. Ten Hag intervened in the break by bringing in Brobbey for Antony. That choice paid off after just three minutes. An excellent long pass from Schuurs reached Brobbey, who lifted the ball over the hatched López.
For a moment Ajax was virtually in the semi-final, but the referee rejects Dusan Tadic’s goal after a foul by Nicolas Tagliafico … Right? #romaya #UEL pic.twitter.com/5fEGWna0Mz
– VTBL? (@vtbl) April 15, 2021
Shortly after the opening goal, Ajax also seemed to come to 0-2. Nicolás Tagliafico captured the ball in a duel with Henrikh Mkhitaryan, after which Edson Álvarez Brobbey played. The striker saw his shot reach Tadic via López, who pushed the ball into the corner in a controlled manner. Video referee Attwell, however, called Taylor to the screen for a Tagliafico foul on Mkhitaryan, after which a line went through the goal. With twenty minutes to go, Ten Hag brought more offensive impulses to his team, by replacing Álvarez with Mohammed Kudus.
With Kudus cold on the field, the goal fell on the other side. Calafiori was able to give a cross after Jurriën Timber’s slip, which was extended by Ryan Gravenberch. Dzeko took advantage of this and hit the ball into the open goal at the far post. For the last ten minutes, Lassina Traoré and Oussama Idrissi were brought in at the expense of David Neres and Schuurs in the search for a goal that would lead to extra time. In the five minutes of injury time, however, Ajax no longer managed to achieve great opportunities, and thus goals, so that Roma can prepare for the semi-finals of the Europa League.