- The Valencians return to the round of 16 of the Champions seven years later
- Valencia finishes first of the group and avoids the 'coconuts' of the competitors
Valencia is already amongst the sixteen greatest groups in the Champions League. And he has achieved it with complete advantage after profitable at residence of one of the 'roosters' of the competitors, as is the Ajax that left such good emotions final season. The Celades pulled caste, struggling and dedication to return to the round of 16 seven years later. And all because of an impeccable defense and a aim from Rodrigo Moreno in the first half.
Celades jumped to the Amsterdam Area with the obligation to match the outcome of Chelsea towards Lille. That meant, in a excessive proportion, getting all three factors towards Ajax. So it was. And in addition, being superior in most sides of the sport towards a crew made to dominate by means of the ball and generator of alternatives because of the high quality in a three-quarter zone of gamers comparable to Ziyech, Van de Beek or Tadic.
After the first jiffy of scoring, the two groups made their intentions clear: Ajax looking for possession and direct play; and Valencia ready again to go towards the velocity of Rodrigo, Gameiro and Ferrán. The chés had hassle getting the ball clear from behind as a result of of the stress of the 'ajacied'. The middle of the discipline didn’t exist, Parejo couldn’t join with the individuals above and, as if that weren’t sufficient, Ziyech progressively took management of the operations.
Fortunately, Valencia discovered the quick aim (minute 23) in a braided play that was born from the left and ended up on the proper, the place Ferrán raised his head to help Rodrigo who, with the collaboration in the Veltman model, managed and beat Onana. The aim gave tranquility to these of Celades, who each time the minutes handed they discovered themselves extra and extra comfy with out the ball. The defense was a assure with Gabriel, Diakhaby, Gayá, Wass, Coquelin and Parejo multiplying in every single place.
Earlier than the break he was in a position to match Ajax and a minute later he scored the second one Valencia. First it was Gayá who, virtually underneath sticks, averted Van de Beek's shot. And second Onana, who broke up a Valencian participant who completed Rodrigo with a earlier lower that he left sitting subsequent to him. With all this, the assembly went to relaxation. With a Valencia that was making the sport he wanted to maneuver to eighth because of his nice defensive group.
Ajax needed to react and Ten Hag moved his chips at the break by eradicating a sanctioned Alvarez to offer entry to the younger and quick Dest, who as quickly as he entered examined Jaume. The Dutch wanted a aim to qualify and left decided after the resumption with three arrivals in the space in lower than a minute. Valencia started to build up misfortunes with Gameiro's harm (changed in 52 by Manu Vallejo) and Gabriel's muscle issues.
Rodrigo created hazard once more with a distant shot that left touching the squad. From there, Valencia modified the plan and delayed its line of defense a number of meters to wager every part to not match. Ajax nonetheless didn’t shoot between the three sticks and all their pictures had been repelled by the wall that was enlarged with the passage of time. His wager was shedding weight in assault and the Celades crew misplaced all choice in the cons. There was no different.
From an insane Ajax to a Jaume salvador
The 65th minute handed and the Dutch crew was more and more arriving at the Jaume space. Ziyech had the clearest with a shot from inside the space that was diverted, and a minute later it was Lang with a shot from Chile that didn’t take the door. Valencia didn’t go away his space and Ajax continued to purchase ballots for the aim. It was a job of resistance to which this crew was not accustomed, though in the reminiscence was the victory for the identical outcome in Stamford Bridge.
The minutes got here to an finish and Ajax was shedding the papers and falling into the traps of Valencia, which any excuse was price to scratch a number of seconds. The Dutch coach had no alternative however to play with two tall strikers (Huntelaar and De Jong) to seek out the useful resource of a header that by no means got here as a result of Gabriel and Diakhaby weren’t for the job. It was then that Jaume appeared with two anthological stops, one of them on the line, to keep away from the tachycardia of the Valencians. Gabriel ended up expelled and Mangala entered in the final seconds, being additionally vital in clearing each middle that missed.
Finish of the sport and Valencia, with Celades in the lead, achieves an especially vital outcome. And, in an advanced group with Ajax and Chelsea as first swords, it achieves a classification that was not achieved for seven years, from 2012-2013. In the absence of the conferences this Wednesday, the ché crew, which passes as first, might be as potential rivals in the draw subsequent Monday with: Dortmund, Lyon, Naples, Tottenham and Shakthar, Dinamo de Zagreb or Atalanta. If Atlético doesn’t cross, Leverkusen can be one other so as to add to the checklist.
DATA SHEET
AJAX: Onana; Mazraoui, Veltman, Blind, Tagliafico (De Jong, min. 89); Álvarez (Dest, min. 46), Lisandro, Van de Beek; Lang (Huntelaar, min. 70), Ziyech and Tadic.
VALENCIA: Doménech; Gayà, Diahhaby, Gabriel, Wass, Coquelin; Parejo, Ferran Torres (Mangala, min. 94), Soler; Gameiro (Manu Vallejo, min. 54) and Rodrigo.
–GOAL:
0 – 1, min. 24, Rodrigo.
–REFEREE: Clément Turpin (FRA). Yellow card with Álvarez (min. 10), Tagliafico (min. 80), Onana (min. 81), Van de Beek (min. 83) and Tadic (min. 90) in Ajax; and Doménech (min. 79), Parejo (min. 81) and Manu Vallejo (min. 86) in Valencia. He expelled Gabriel (min. 92) with a direct purple.
–STADIUM: Johan Cruyff Area. 53,590 spectators.