Final result: Ajax-Lazio 1-3
Ajax report cards (by Daniele Naijar)
Pasveer 6.5 – He guards well on shots from outside, blameless on Tchaouna’s goal and unlucky on Dele-Bashiru’s. Very stressed when playing from behind, he always does very well, then makes a difference when Lazio slips in the second half.
Rensch 5.5 – Lots of runs down the right, as in the case of the cross to Brobbey which is the best chance of the first half for the Lancers. He covers well against Pedro, then Zaccagni arrives from his area and there is immediate pain with the 1-2 goal that comes from there. (From 80′ Gaaei sv).
Sutalo 5.5 – He controls Castellanos well, forcing him to often leave the area in search of good balls, but in the case of the away team’s lead, he and Baas lose control.
Baas 5 – Let’s say he doesn’t lack personality, but he plays a little too much, putting Pasveer in difficulty with poisonous back passes. It’s not a wall on Tchaona’s goal, on the contrary, he’s having a good night’s sleep.
Hato 5.5 – Less push from his side, even if the quality in his plays is not lacking. Tchaouna puts him to the test when not in possession.
Berghuis 5.5 – Good plots by Ajax, but also several errors in setting up for him with lost balls that play into Lazio’s hands. (From 73′ Akpom 5 – He tries twice, the second is a huge header chance, but he sends it wide)
Henderson 6 – Point of reference for the midfielder and the team, who rely on him to try out every maneuver.
Taylor 5.5 – The turnover that led to Tchaouna’s goal was the result of a somewhat slow start on his part. Then it grows. (From 80′ Rasmussen sv)
Traore 7 – He is the constant danger for Lazio, the one who constantly targets the defense and the goal. Beautiful goal.
Brobbey 5 – Always active and present, but tonight he is not a sniper, to put it mildly. As demonstrated by the great wasted chance after Lazio’s 1-0 and then the header sent wide following Pellegrini’s mess. (From 73′ Weghorst sv)
Godts 6 – It doesn’t sting, it’s true, but every ball he plays makes perfect sense. (From 58′ Fitz-Jim 5.5 – He comes in to restore verve to his team, with poor results in a phase in which Ajax is being crushed).
Francesco Farioli 6 – Betrayed by a few too many lost balls, but Ajax has a very specific identity, which respects its glorious history. Football that excites, loses a match against a team that tries to follow that same philosophy.
Lazio report cards (edited by Raimondo De Magistris)
Mandas 6 – An offensively imprecise Ajax called him into overtime for the first time only in the 85th minute. He can do nothing about Traoré’s goal.
Lazarus 6 – Under the watchful eyes of Baroni he pushes less than usual and focuses almost exclusively on the defensive phase. From the 46th Marusic 6 – Along the lines of Lazzari, he is above all careful not to give space to the Ajax attackers who pass through his area.
Patric 6.5 – With the armband he leads the defense with personality and always punctual interventions. From the 72nd Gila – He gets into the game well.
Gigot 6.5 – From OM’s redundant player to Lazio’s protagonist: the French defender is one of the many happy choices made by the Biancoceleste club this summer.
Pilgrims 6 – A good game, a useless save on the line but also a foolish thing that could have been very costly in the 58th minute: luckily for him, Brobbey isn’t in the mood for the evening. From the 69th Nuno Tavares 7 – He enters just in time to show off a descent worthy of the best Theo Hernandez.
Rovella 7 – Inexhaustible scooter from the Biancoceleste midfield, an essential player for Baroni’s idea of football. High level performance tonight too.
Dele-Bashiru 7.5 – The turning point for the midfielder could also be the turning point of his career, a few meters further back he has more space to push and make his physicality felt. But the Nigerian also did very well when he played as a right winger at the start of the second half: while he was in that position he scored Lazio’s second goal.
Tchaouna 7.5 – He starts off strong straight away and it is no coincidence that he is the one who scores the goal that unlocks the game. Always sharp when he can converge towards the center, he provided the assist for Pedro on the occasion of the final 1-3.
Boulaye Dia 6.5 – He supports Castellanos, stops Ajax’s play at the source: the goal that unlocks the game comes from his pressure in the opponent’s frontline. From the 46th Zaccagni 7 – He entered and immediately became the protagonist of the play that brought Lazio back ahead in the moment of greatest difficulty. 10 quality, captain’s charisma: he is probably in the best moment of his career.
Pedro 7.5 – Always at the heart of the Biancoceleste’s offensive game, he varies in all roles so as not to give points of reference. The 3-1 goal is a pearl of beauty: a timeless champion. From the 88th Guendouzi sv
Castellanos 7 – The pass for Tchaouna on the occasion of the goal that broke the deadlock is a 10 rather than a 9: an enlightening verticalisation.
Marco Baroni 8 – It is the symbol of a Lazio that wins and convinces. Who changed everything to rediscover himself much stronger, who can dream in Italy and also in the Europa League.