NOS Football•
Ajax has lost for the fourth time in a row in the Champions League. The score was 0-3 for Galatasaray in the Johan Cruijff Arena, thanks to three goals from Victor Osimhen.
With zero points, fourteen goals against and one for, the Amsterdam team remains bottom in the competition phase of the Champions League. Ajax is firmly at the bottom, with a worse goal difference than Benfica, which also has zero points.
The loss against Galatasaray was the seventh European defeat in a row for the Amsterdam team, something Ajax has never experienced before.
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The position in the CL after November 5 -
The position in the CL after November 5 -
The results in the Champions League on Wednesday, November 5
“If we still want points, it has to happen now,” coach John Heitinga said the day before the match with the Turks. It didn’t happen.
Because after hopeless defeats against Internazionale (2-0), Olympique Marseille (4-0) and Chelsea (5-1), Ajax also found it difficult to cope in the fourth European match against Galatasaray.
Reign right winger
Heitinga had put together a new battle plan, with Youri Regeer as the hanging right winger and Oscar Gloukh behind strikers Mika Godts and Wout Weghorst to strengthen the midfield.
But Galatasaray didn’t care much about it and played the game in the opening phase that made the team the convincing leader in Turkey with apparent ease.
With the German Leroy Sané, the Colombian former Ajax player Davinson Sánchez and the Uruguayan Lucas Torreira, ‘Gala’ at times showed quality that has not been in Amsterdam for a long time. And don’t forget Osimhen. The attacker, for whom the Turkish club paid 75 million euros, was difficult to control at first.
After Ajax had gotten through the first fifteen minutes, the Nigerian striker was close to the opening goal twice. A volley when he had controlled the ball between several Ajax players on his chest, and later a header, 41-year-old Remko Pasveer was able to narrowly keep out of the goal.
More brutal
Ajax was pushed far back in its own penalty area and a counter goal seemed imminent, but when it was still 0-0 after half an hour, the Amsterdam team became a little bolder.
There were small opportunities (nothing more) and Heitinga’s choice to create an open right flank with the hanging Regeer seemed to yield something.
Of all Ajax players, Gloukh in particular showed on Wednesday evening that he has Champions League potential. He deftly turned away a number of times, culminating in a pass with the outside of his foot with which he sent Godts away.
The revival of the team from Amsterdam before half time did not lead to great opportunities, but given the miserable state earlier in the season, Ajax will still get something positive out of it.
At the same time, Galatasaray saw it all and made it happen. The Turks lacked the fiery will to avenge last season’s defeat in the Arena (2-1 in the Europa League), it seemed.
Hattrick Osimhen
After about an hour the Turks struck. Sané turned in a cross dangerously and Osimhen turned away from Josip Sutalo and subtly nodded the ball past Pasveer: 0-1. Six minutes later the match was suddenly decided, when Youri Baas made hands and caused a penalty. Osimhen scored: 0-2.
Somewhat frustrated, Ajax tried to get something done for the resigned fans in the Johan Cruijff Arena, but it didn’t amount to anything more than a revival with a big chance for Godts.
When Osimhen scored his third goal fifteen minutes before the end, again from the penalty spot after a handball from substitute Gerard Alders, it was clear that Ajax would not get any points again. Weghorst missed a huge chance for a goal of honor, after which it could have ended even worse, but in injury time the post prevented substitute Mauro Icardi from shooting in the fourth.
In three weeks, Ajax will have another chance at the first Champions League points of the season, in a direct duel with fellow bottom line Benfica.
