Marseilles spoil Ajax' birthday party

Wednesday 18 March 2009

For some 110 very entertaining minutes Ajax' 109th birthday seemed to become a real party, as Ajax had leveled the tie at 2-1 in the second leg. But in stoppage time it all went wrong when Tyrone Mears scored a second for the French and eliminated the last Dutch team in Europe.

Ajax were the third Dutch team being knocked out by Marseilles this season, after the team of Eric Gerets had earlier done the same with PSV in the Champions League and FC Twente in the UEFA Cup.

But Ajax can be proud of themselves tonight as it was a much depleted Amsterdam side with no less than 6 key players (Thomas Vermaelen, Jan Vertonghen, Rob Wielaert, Gregory van der Wiel, Rasmus Lindgren and Gabri) missing.

Their young replacements did very well and were the better side tonight, but two defensive mistakes cost Ajax dearly.

The team of coach Marco van Basten started very offensively and had their first good chance after only four minutes (Suarez).

The hosts kept dominating Marseilles and it was fully justified that Eyong Enoh gave them the lead from a great Suarez through ball.

Ajax wealth lasted exactly 2 minutes.

Mamadou Niang was sent on his way to the Ajax penalty area by Kone when Ajax goal keeper made a mistake.

With both Oleguer and Toby Alderweireld being there Vermeer left his line and was then an easy victim for Niang.

After the break Ajax operated a lot more cautious, but still got a set of decent chances.

Fifteen minutes Ajax then got what they deserved.

Suarez turned away from his marker brilliantly and provided Miralem Sulejmani with a header from point blank range that the Serb didn't waste.

With the 2-1 from Marseilles now leveled out Ajax went looking for a third, with some great chances coming to the Amsterdammers in the dying minutes of the game.

Extra time had to decide who was to progress though and again it was poor defending from the home team that handed the French a goal.

The Ajax defense was unable to clear a Zenden free kick that was rocketed upwards by the wall and with the young Ajax defenders looking at each other Mears reacted best and headed the ball into the net.

With ten minutes on the clock things weren't quite over yet, but Marseilles held on with ease despite a Leonardo shot going just a whisker wide of the far post five minutes from the end.

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