Ajax dumped out of Champions League
Dutch side lost second leg 3-2 and 5-4 on aggregate to Rapid Vienna
Ajax had reached the group stages in each of the last four seasons but failed to qualify for this year’s Champions League after 5-4 aggregate defeat by Rapid Vienna. PHOTO: AFP
PARIS:
Four-time European champions Ajax have been eliminated at the third qualifying round stage of the Champions League after a humiliating 3-2 second-leg defeat to Rapid Vienna late on Tuesday.
After a 2-2 first-leg draw in the Austrian capital last week, Ajax were strong favourites to progress to the play-off round, but they suffered a torturous night at the Amsterdam Arena.
Frank de Boer’s men let a two-goal lead slip at the Ersnt-Happel Stadion last week and the visitors — seemingly buoyed by that comeback — started where they left off last week.
Slovenian international Robert Beric — the scorer of Rapid’s equaliser in the first leg — tormented Ajax again as he put the Austrian side in front after 12 minutes before Louis Schaub doubled their lead before half-time.
Ajax, who had reached the group stages in each of the last four seasons, hauled themselves back into the match and levelled the aggregate scores at 4-4, thanks to goals by Polish international Arkadiusz Milik and Serbian midfielder Nemanja Gudelj.
But just as the tie seemed set for extra time, Rapid Vienna — who last reached the Champions League group stages in the 2005-06 season — struck a decisive blow after 77 minutes via Schaub’s second goal of the night.
Rapid progress to the play-off round after a 5-4 aggregate victory.
Monaco through after 7-1 aggregate win
Last season’s quarter-finalists Monaco are into the play-off round after a thumping 4-0 second-leg win over Swiss side Young Boys.
The Ligue 1 side — who reached the 2004 final where they were beaten by Portuguese giants Porto — were already 3-1 up from last week’s first leg in Bern and finished the job handsomely at the Stade Louis II thanks to a blistering second-half display.
“I liked our performance,” said Monaco boss Leonardo Jardim. “We took control of the game. Our goal was to not concede before half-time and force our opponent to attack. That’s exactly what happened.”
Young Boys, who were semi-finalists of the European Cup back in 1958-59, retained some hope of getting back into the tie with the second leg goalless at half-time.
But Monaco — third in Ligue 1 last season — struck four times in 23 devastating second-half minutes to inflict a crushing 7-1 aggregate defeat on the Swiss capital club.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 6th, 2015.
Four-time European champions Ajax have been eliminated at the third qualifying round stage of the Champions League after a humiliating 3-2 second-leg defeat to Rapid Vienna late on Tuesday.
After a 2-2 first-leg draw in the Austrian capital last week, Ajax were strong favourites to progress to the play-off round, but they suffered a torturous night at the Amsterdam Arena.
Frank de Boer’s men let a two-goal lead slip at the Ersnt-Happel Stadion last week and the visitors — seemingly buoyed by that comeback — started where they left off last week.
Slovenian international Robert Beric — the scorer of Rapid’s equaliser in the first leg — tormented Ajax again as he put the Austrian side in front after 12 minutes before Louis Schaub doubled their lead before half-time.
Ajax, who had reached the group stages in each of the last four seasons, hauled themselves back into the match and levelled the aggregate scores at 4-4, thanks to goals by Polish international Arkadiusz Milik and Serbian midfielder Nemanja Gudelj.
But just as the tie seemed set for extra time, Rapid Vienna — who last reached the Champions League group stages in the 2005-06 season — struck a decisive blow after 77 minutes via Schaub’s second goal of the night.
Rapid progress to the play-off round after a 5-4 aggregate victory.
Monaco through after 7-1 aggregate win
Last season’s quarter-finalists Monaco are into the play-off round after a thumping 4-0 second-leg win over Swiss side Young Boys.
The Ligue 1 side — who reached the 2004 final where they were beaten by Portuguese giants Porto — were already 3-1 up from last week’s first leg in Bern and finished the job handsomely at the Stade Louis II thanks to a blistering second-half display.
“I liked our performance,” said Monaco boss Leonardo Jardim. “We took control of the game. Our goal was to not concede before half-time and force our opponent to attack. That’s exactly what happened.”
Young Boys, who were semi-finalists of the European Cup back in 1958-59, retained some hope of getting back into the tie with the second leg goalless at half-time.
But Monaco — third in Ligue 1 last season — struck four times in 23 devastating second-half minutes to inflict a crushing 7-1 aggregate defeat on the Swiss capital club.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 6th, 2015.