Goal by Luis Fernando Muriel to Ajax in the Champions League – International Football – Sports



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A goal from the Colombian Luis Muriel In the 85th minute, he certified Atalanta’s classification for the knockout stages of the Champions League against Ajax (0-1), which was powerless in the face of the rival goal and will go on to play in the Europa League.

Muriel came out in the 79th to replace his compatriot Duván Zapata, who played a good game, and only needed six minutes on the pitch to settle the score.

Midfielder Remo Freuler stole the ball after a failure by the Dutch defense and gave the Colombian forward a vertical pass that left him alone in front of the goalkeeper. He held on, took André Onana down the left and gave the final thrust to the match sending the ball to the back of the net.

It was a duel from less to more in which the Italian team was worth a draw, while the locals needed the victory to go to the second round. In the tactical duel between coaches Erik ten Hag and Gian Piero Gasperini, the latter played his cards better.

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He endured the onslaught of the Dutch when they pressed, especially in the second half, and was right with the changes. From the beginning it was clear that the game, far from being a sprint of a hundred meters, would be a long distance race and both teams were concerned, above all, about not conceding an early goal.

In fact, the first shot between the three clubs came just before the break, a header from rookie Brian Brobbey after a good cross from Antony dos Santos on the right that Italian goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini saved without problems. Ten Hag made his debut in the top European competition for forward Brobbey, who was promoted to the first team this season. The 18-year-old attacker is one more example of the never-ending quarry and was replaced at halftime by a collision on the pitch with his teammate Nicolás Tagliafico.

Ajax was the owner and lord of possession of the ball in the first 45 minutes, although it did not reach the rival goal clearly and tried its luck especially on the inside. In the 15th minute, Brobbey controlled his back to the area, gave it to Noussair Mazraoui and the Moroccan’s shot was cleared by a corner kick defender. The squad led by Ten Hag then tried from distance, with a free kick from Zakaria Labyad that hit the barrier and a shot from Ryan Gravenberch that went too high.

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Atalanta for its part, well established on the pitch, withstood the timid pressure of the Dutch and showed its teeth on the counterattack under the baton of Alejandro “Papu” Gómez, who connected well with the Colombian Duvan Zapata. Gómez gave Marten de Roon a good ball on the edge of the area, but the Italian team midfielder sent it to the clouds in the 19.

Then Ajax pushed the defensive line forward and forced Atalanta’s two dangerous chances to culminate in offside. The second part brought to the meeting the tension expected for a duel that decided a place in the round of 16 of the top European competition.

Ajax put men on the offensive line, left spaces behind and the team tried to take advantage of them. First, Freuler failed to finish off an unbeatable opportunity in the area. Then, the Argentine Lisandro Martínez saved his team by sending the ball to a corner kick after two clear chances by Atalanta on the left, both born at the feet of a providential Matteo Pessina. Then Mazraoui saved the goal by deflecting a shot with André Onana already beaten to corner.

As the timer advanced, Ajax woke up and threw themselves more and more into the open grave, knowing that the tie would leave them eliminated. Ten Hag took full-back Nicolás Tagliafico, who had a yellow card, off the grass and put veteran forward Klaas-Jan Huntelaar on. In ’75, Ajax had qualification in their hands. An inside combination between Quincy Promes, Antony dos Santos and Jurgen Ekkelenkamp left Davy Klaassen alone before the goalkeeper.

The midfielder shot too centered from below and Gollini cleared it with his right leg. The expulsion of local player Gravenberch for a double yellow and Muriel’s goal in 85 put an end to the game, as Ajax tried with more heart than head with long balls that barely intimidated the Italian team.

Atalanta qualify as second in Group D, led by Liverpool, while the Dutch finish in third place and will play the Europa League.

EFE



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