There may have been surprise, but logic finally prevailed. Ajax fulfilled the script against Midtjylland (1-2) and left Herning with three points in his bag and second place in group D after Atalanta's defeat against leaders Liverpool. The goals of Anthony and Tadic were enough to beat the young Danish team, who played without complexes but lacked the necessary punch to achieve something more.
After traveling with the uncertainty caused by the coronavirus, Ajax was finally able to count on goalkeeper André Onana, midfielder Ryan Gravenberch and forward Dusan Tadic to face Midtjylland.
The three, together with substitute goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg and the media Davy Klaassen and Zakaria Labyad, tested negative in a second Covid test and were starters in an Ajax that started showing efficiency in attack.
In fact, the first “ajacied” offense was rewarded. Ten Hag's team took the lead in the first minute of play thanks to a target from Brazilian Anthony, who took advantage of Midtjylland's defensive passivity.
Before the quarter of an hour, Tadic put the second after scoring an indirect free from the small Danish area caused by a loan. It was the perfect script for Ajax, however modest Midtjylland was not expected to put them on the spot.
The Danish team, aware that they no longer had anything to lose, took over the game, locked up the Dutch team in their field and searched for the goal ‘ajacied’ insistently.
After falling to zero against Liverpool and Atalanta, Midtjylland finally scored the first goal in their history in the Champions League, the work of Anders Dreyer. The Dane received on the balcony of the area, advanced unopposed and shot Onana with a left-footed shot at the near post.
The target encouraged the Nordic team, the protagonist in this first half with a blatant and clearly offensive game. Dreyer had the second in his boots, but this time Onana was able to deflect the ball. The Ajax goalkeeper also had work with a howitzer fired by Onyeka, but the marker was not going to move before reaching the break.
The intermission favored Ajax, who faced the second half much more fully. Those of Ten Hag returned to do what they do best, move the ball quickly and control the game.
Midtjylland paid for the effort made at the start and little by little it faded. Ajax sent at pleasure and even scored the third in a personal play by Anthony, however the VAR canceled the Brazilian's goal for a previous offside.
Ten Hag did not want the same thing to happen as in the first half and brought in several refreshment players to ensure the result. Midtjylland, almost without strength, once again tried Onana's gloves with a long foul from Evander, but the Ajax goalkeeper did not hesitate and prevented the Nordic surprise.
1 – Midtjylland: Andersen; Paulinho, Scholz, Sviatchenko, Andersson (Cools, m.64); Cajuste (Evander, m.81), Onyeka; Mabil, Sisto, Dreyer (Kraev, m.75); Kaba (Vibe, m.81).
2 – Ajax: Onana; Tagliafico, Blind, Schuurs (Álvarez, m.60), Mazraoui (Klaiber, m. 77); Gravenberch, Martínez, Ekkelenkamp (Klaassen, m. 46); Promes, Tadic, Antony dos Santos (Traoré, m.90).
Goals: 0-1, m.1: Antony dos Santos. 0-2, m. 13: Dusan Tadic. 1-2, m.18: Dreyer.
Referee: Scotsman Bobby Madden showed a yellow card to Vibe, from Midtjylland, and to Schuurs by Ajax.
Incidents: match corresponding to the third day of group D of the Champions League played at the Arena Herning, in the Danish city of Herning. The Ajax footballers played with a black crepe on their arms in tribute to Johan Cruyff's assistant Tonny Bruins, who passed away last Monday at the age of 73.