Roman Yaremchuk earned the home side a draw after UEFA Champions League top scorer Sébastien Haller had struck at both ends in a thrilling last-16 first leg.
Sébastien Haller scored at both ends as a barnstorming UEFA Champions League round of 16 encounter ended all square between Ajax and Benfica in Lisbon.
Key moments
18′ Composed Tadić makes it 1-0
26′ Haller turns cross into own net
29′ Haller restores Ajax’s advantage
45′ Álvarez shot cannons off the post
72′ Sub Yaremchuk nods in rebound
Ajax won six out of six in the group stage and picked up where they left off, Antony’s outrageous nutmeg in the opening 60 seconds setting the tone. They were ahead on 18 minutes, Dušan Tadić applying the cool final touch to punish Benfica for some lax play at the back.
Jan Vertonghen soon made amends for the collective, fizzing in a cross following a corner that struck Haller’s foot and rolled into the net.
The towering striker was far more assured at the other end three minutes later, tucking in his 11th of the competition in this, his first season.
Haller almost made it 12 on half-time but couldn’t quite adjust when Edson Álvarez’s effort cannoned off the post into his path. Benfica were rocking but after the break Rafa Silva and Darwin Núñez got them rolling.
The pressure cranked up until Gonçalo Ramos’s shot was parried and substitute Roman Yaremchuk won the race to nod it in.
Reaction
Erik ten Hag, Ajax coach: “I have something of a double feeling about the game. It’s a good result but, on the other hand, we let it slip. We had two or three good chances that we didn’t convert. Álvarez, Gravenberch and Antony all could have scored. And then we conceded on the counter, completely unnecessary.”
Nélson Veríssimo, Benfica coach: “I’m satisfied with the performance, not the result. It was a 50-50 game, both teams trying to win. This game was played with great intensity from start to finish.”
Dušan Tadić, Ajax captain: “I’m not happy. In the second half, we should have created more with our qualities. Benfica are always difficult to play against, especially in this stadium. We will have a full stadium in Amsterdam, though, and we know we can win.”
Jan Vertonghen, Benfica defender: “We had the better chances in the second half. In the end, the game could have gone either way. Ajax were very good in possession and we were very good at playing into the space that was created as a result. All in all, this is an acceptable result to take to Amsterdam.”
