Ajax dominates, but Benfica scores in the second half and qualifies for the quarter-finals of the Champions League

O Benfica is in the quarterfinals of Champions League. This Tuesday, playing away from home, in Holland, the Portuguese won the Ajax 1-0 and won a spot in the next stage of the tournament. In a match where the hosts dominated most of the time, Uruguayan Darwin Núñez needed just one ball to hit the net and seal the classification.

The first leg, in Lisbon, ended in a 2-2 draw and, thus, the Benfica victory in Amsterdam gave the Portuguese a 3-2 victory on aggregate.

Now, Benfica returns to the field next Sunday, at 15:00 (Brasília time), to receive Estoril, for the Portuguese Championship. Ajax, in turn, face Feyenoord, also on Sunday, but at 10:30 am, for the Dutch Championship.

The game –

The first half was dominated by the Dutch. Playing at home, Ajax did not leave the attacking field and arrived well with Antony, Haller, Álvarez, Berghuis, Timber and Gravenberch. The hosts, however, sinned as much by poor aim as they stopped at an inspired Vlachodimos. End of the first stage in goals at Johan Cruijff Arena.

At the return of the break, the game showed signs that it would be more balanced, with a good chance for the Portuguese at the beginning of the second stage, with Vertonghen. In the sequence, however, the home team returned to have the ball at their feet and put pressure on Benfica, taking danger in Antony’s header.

However, in the 31st minute of the second half, what seemed unlikely happened. Benfica goal. The Uruguayan Darwin Núñez waited the entire game for a ball to kill the duel and received it after a free kick in the area, where he anticipated the goalkeeper Onana and climbed higher than Timber to head into the back of the net.

Ajax went all-or-nothing in the final minutes and created opportunities, but suffered from the same problem that hindered them throughout the game: they were ineffective in finishing plays. In the end, Yaremchuk still had the chance to widen for the Portuguese, but he stopped in the defense. With that, the score followed 1 to 0 for Benfica, who qualified away from home.