Benfica is in the quarterfinals

Benfica has qualified for the quarterfinals, driving Ajax to despair. The locals were better throughout the match, mastering more and creating more but also failing more. The Portuguese limited themselves to defending throughout the game and getting excited when they chained a couple of plays from set pieces, the formula by which they reached the goal.

Veríssimo still doesn’t know how they got to the break with a scoreless draw. Ajax owned the game throughout the first half and the last fifteen minutes were a harassment of the Vlachodimos goal. None of the occasions were enough to beat the Greek. The left wing was a shortcut for Tadic, Gravenberch and Blind but, once in finishing position, neither was precise. Haller, second top scorer in the competition, did not smell it.

As it happened in the first leg and on the last day of the league, Ajax crashed after the break. The disappointment of not starting the scoring after having dominated with such sufficiency reduced the spirits of a team that, with Meité as a pivot, who entered through Taarabt, he did not find holes so easily through Gilberto’s band.

The Johan Cruijff Arena began to get impatient and soon sadly accepted that it had reasons for it. In the 77th minute, Darwin Núñez, practically unheard of until then, took advantage of the inches that Timber lacked to be an intimidating central defender and Onana’s false start to score the only goal that Benfica lacked.

A sad farewell for Ten Hag, whom they all see leaving Amsterdam in July, of the Champions League. In the previous one he said that this edition had already been a success but the streets of Amsterdam think differently. It is also the last European game with Ajax for Onana, Mazraoui and possibly others like Gravenberch or Antony. On the other side, Veríssimo is all smiles after coming into the first leg with his position in check.