Jacob Steinberg on Christian Pulisic ...
Match report: Ajax 0-1 Chelsea
David Hytner was at the Johan Cruyff Arena for the Guardian. Here’s how he saw an entertaining game unfold.
Frank Lampard speaks: “I’m so happy.,” he tells BT Sport. “To come here, I knew how tough this game would be – they’re a really strong side. To play and beat them - and we deserved to beat them – is so satisfying. I was so, so proud of the performance.” He goes on to praisde various players, including his substitutes - those who got a game and some who didn’t. “I think we deserved our luck today,” he says of the VAR decision. “You make your luck on that one and the one that hit the post.”
Chelsea worth their win? I think so, on balance. It was a game of ebb and flow which could have gone either way, but ultimately Chelsea had that little bit of finesse in the final third, which helped separate the men from the boys. You may not read or hear much about this in the match coverage of assorted media outlets, but Frank Lampard fielded quite a few young players tonight. It’s a policy of his that’s being kept very low key ...
Full-time: Ajax 0-1 Chelsea
Peep! Peep! Peeeeeeep! It’s all over in Amsterdam, where Chelsea have taken three points courtesy of a second half winner from the substitute Michy Batshuayi.
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90+4 min: It’s all going Pete Tong for Ajax, who finally get theb all into the Chelsea half, only to concede a free-kick which their visitors are in no big rush to take.
90+3 min: Chelsea, playing most of their football in the Ajax right-back position, win another free-kick and play the ball towards the corner.
90+2 min: Pulisic loses the ball in the corner and it’s hacked downfield by Ajax. Jorginho is on hand to deal with it and play it forward again.
90+1 min: We enter added time and Chelsea have the ball deep in Ajax territory. Batshuayi smashes a shot towards Onana, who is unable to hold it and concedes a corner. Unsurprisingly, Chelsea opt to play it short. They win another corner, Christian Pulisic doing the honours.
90 min: Chelsea substitution: Reece James on for Callum Hudson-Odoi.
87 min: Ajax double substitution: Klaus Jan-Huntelaar and Siem De Jong on for Joel Veltman and Edson Alvarez.
GOAL! Ajax 0-1 Chelsea (Batshuayi 86)
Chelsea lead! Christian Pulisic provides the pull-back from the left and the ball squirms through to Batshuayi . He digs it out from under his feet and scores with a shot that goes in off the underside of the cross-bar.
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83 min: Azpilicueta finds himself in space on the left flank and tries to send a cross into the Ajax penalty area. It’s a poor effort that Tagliafico blocks easily. Ajax gallop up the field in a two-on-two counter-attack, which Jorginho puts a stop to with some excellent defending.
82 min: Pulisic has looked lively since coming on and goes close with a low drive from distance. It’s wide of the left upright, but not by a great deal.
80 min: Zouma appeals for handball and a penalty after jumping alongside Tagliafico to contest a high ball. Replays show the Argentinian had no case to answer.
77 min: Pulisic tries to tee up Hudson-Odoi in the Ajax penalty area, but Edson Alvarez lunges in with a potentially goal-saving tackle before the Chelsea youngster can pull the trigger. A corner for Chelsea, from which nothing comes.
76 min: Ajax break up the field on the counter-attack, but the move breaks down on the back of a wayward pass from Martinez to Neres.
75 min: Ajax substitution: Quincy Promes off, David Neres on.
73 min: Michy Batshuayi misses an absolute sitter after being teed up by a deflected shot from Pulisic that looped up in the air and could scarcely have fallen more kindly for him. He’s seven yards from goal with only the goalkeeper to beat, the ball drops beautifully and he somehow contrives to balloon his effort over the bar. Oh Michy, as Tony Basil famously sang.
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71 min: Hakim Ziyech and Donny van de Beek combine down the right, but the latter loses the ball in a rare show of sloppiness.
70 min: Chelsea substitution: Michi Batshuayi on, Tammy Abraham off.
69 min: Tadic trips Zouma deep inside Chelsea territory and Kepa takes the free-kick ... eventually, to the soundtrack of jeers from the Ajax fans. It’s getting a bit scrappy now.
67 min: Chelsea substitution: Christian Pulisic on, Willian off.
66 min: An accidental finger in the eye, I hasten to add. He caught the Brazilian with a stray arm as he tried to get away
65 min: Now Lisandro Martinez gets cautioned after catching Jorginho with a finger in the eye as he tried to get away from the Chelsea midfielder.
64 min: Callum Hudson-Odoi gets booked for a tug on the shirt of Tadic, who had just robbed him of possession.
61 min: Azpilicueta gallops forward and plays the ball wide to Willian near the right touchline. His cross is cut out and cleared by Joel Veltman.
60 min: Ajax corner, which Donny van der Beek delivers to perfection. Edson Alvarez hits the post with a diving header at the near post, that fizzes across the face of gal and hits the far one. So close.
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56 min: Ten minutes into the second half and Chelsea appear to have grown in confidence. There’s still not much in it, mind. It’s an entertaining, evenly matched game with both teams lacking that little bit of finesse in the final third.
53 min: Martinez plays the ball wide to the excellent5 Ziyech near the corner flag. He directs a cross towards Promes in the Chelsea penalty area, but the visitors clear.
51 min: Mount wins a corner after an attempted cross towards Abraham and Hudson-Odoi is intercepted. The ball’s played in towards Alonso, but Lisandro puts it out for another corner. Nothing comes of it.
49 min: Chelsea attack, with Alonso on the ball down the left flank. The ball’s played inside to Mason Mount, who attempts to shoot from distance. Daley Blind blocks.
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48 min: Dusan Tadic is booked for a clash with Willian, who he caught with an accidental clothesline. There’s a break in play so the Chelsea player can receive treatment.
Second half: Ajax 0-0 Chelsea
46 min: Play resumes for the second half and Ajax win two corners in quick succession. Quincy Promes takes the second one short to Ziyech, who plays it back to the striker. He crosses the ball into the Chelsea penalty area, from where it’s cleared.
Half-time: Ajax 0-0 Chelsea
Peep! It’s all square at the break in an absorbing, entertaining game. Ajax thought they’d scored through Quincy Promes, only to have their goal ruled out in a VAR review. The Ajax striker was offside by the most slender of margins. Chelsea have had chances of their own in a match that could still go either way.
45 min: Now Hakim Ziyech tries his luck from distance, but his effort is also high, wide and handsome.
43 min: Azpilicueta tries a hopelessly optimistic shot that sails high and wide.
39 min: Cesar Azpilicueta slides in with a perfectly timed tackle to prevent Quincy Promes from firing off a shot from close range in the Chelsea penalty area. After a wonderfully neat passing move, Van De Beek picked out the striker with a pass towards the far post but Alonso did wonderfully.
VAR! Ajax's goal is disallowed ...
It remains scoreless, after Promes’s is found to have been a toenail offside before he slid in with a leg outstretched to poke home the delivery from Ziyech. It remains all square.
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GOAL! Ajax 1-0 Chelsea (Promes 35)
Promes scores! Ajax take the lead courtesy of Quincy Promes, who slides in at the far post to prod home a cross from the right. But it’s going to VAR!
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31 min: It’s fairly evenly matched a third of the way into the game. Both teams have had reasonable chances without anything too clear cut. Donny van der Beek looks a terrific player, much like he did throughout most of last season’s Champions League campaign.
26 min: Mason Mount on the ball, down by the corner flag. He plays it short to Alonso, who sends in a cross from the touchline. Ziyech’s feeble defensive header strays into the path of Callum Hudson-Odoi, who shoots wide from a good scoring position.
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25 min: Callum Hudson-Odoi drives into the box from the inside left channel before curling a shot well wide.
23 min: There’s a brief break in play so the referee can walk to the touchline and brandish a yellow card in the direction of Frank Lampard’s assistant, Jody Morris. I suspect he’s been badgering the fourth official, who has tired of the aural assault.
21 min: Daley Blind wellies the ball long towards Quincy Promes after a Chelsea counter-attack, started when Tammy Abraham picked Lisandro Martinez’s pocket in midfield, is thwarted. Fikayo Tomori is able to judge the bounce and clear under pressure.
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19 min: Hakim Ziyech gets on the ball through the centre and plays a nice pass out to Quincy Promes on left flank. He moves it forward and sends in a cross, which Ziyech is on hand to collect at the far post. He attempts to drill the ball back across the face of goal, but his effort is blocked.
17 min: Chelsea win a throw-in deep in their own half. Marcos Alonso steals a cheeky 10 metres before chucking the ball back into play.
15 min: Good play from Mount, who brings a smart save out of Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana at the near post. Chelsea have a corner. Callum Hudson-Odoi swings the ball into the mixer, Marcos Alonso gets a flick and the ball is skimmed wide.
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12 min: Willian fouls Nicolas Tagliafico near the halfway line and Ajax win themselves another free-kick. They’re having the better of things in these early stages, but there’s not much between the two sides.
10 min: Ajax win a corner, which is arrowed into space at the far post. Donny van de Beek peels away from his man into space and catches the dropping ball with a sweet, sweet volley. Kurt Zouma blocks his fine effort.
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9 min: Ajax central defender Joel Veltman tries a shot from distance. His low drive is pulled wide of the right upright.
7 min: Ajax attack down the left touchline, before Quincy Promes misplaces a pass aimed for Donny van de Beek into the Chelsea penalty area. Chelsea attempt to clear, but Fikayo Timori gives the ball away.
6 min: Tammy Abraham is penalised for a late challenge on Joel Veltman, conceding a free-kick inside the Ajax half.
4 min: Crikey! It’s a lively start. Chelsea win another corner and it’s taken on the right-hand side by Willian. Fikayo Timori gets a free header, but is unable to steer his effort on goal.
3 min: Ajax gallop up field on the counter after Fikayo Timori gives the ball away in midfield, with Donny van de Beek on the ball. He plays a one-two with Quincy Promes, kicks the ball against the arm of Marcos Alonso in the Chelsea penalty area and appeals for a spot-kick. On the touchline the linesman raises his flag and it’s ... offside.
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2 min: Callum Hudson-Odoi plays the corner deep towards the far post, aiming for Kurt Zouma. Ajax goalkeeper is quick to punch clear.
Ajax v Chelsea is go!
1 min: Ajax get the ball rolling, their players wearing red and white shirts, white shorts and white socks. The players of Chelsea wear black shirts with orange trim, black shorts and black socks. Chelsea press high and win an early corner courtesy of Jorginho.
Not long now: The teams are out and lined up either side of the match officials for the Champions League anthem. We’re just a coin-toss and some ineffectual-but-compulsory posing for photos with cardboard anti-racism #slogans away from kick-off.
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That stat has made me feel very old: Josh McEachran currently plays for Birmingham City, in case you’re wondering. He made his first appearance of the season in yesterday evening’s 1-0 win over Blackburn Rovers. He has previously claimed in a BBC Radio 5 Live interview that claims he lost his confidence after being bounced around a series of Championship club – Swansea City, Middlesbrough, Watford, Wigan – on loan, before leaving Chelsea for Brentford, where his progress was halted by injury.
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18y 350d - Aged 18 years and 350 days, Callum Hudson-Odoi is the youngest player to start a Champions League match for Chelsea since Josh McEachran in December 2010 against Marseille (17y 282d). Opportunity. pic.twitter.com/C4m4uEhiF5
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) October 23, 2019
Ajax v Chelsea line-ups ...
Ajax: Onana, Dest, Veltman, Blind, Tagliafico, Alvarez, Martinez, Ziyech, van de Beek, Promes, Tadic.
Subs: Bruno Varela, Schuurs, Neres, Huntelaar, Mazraoui, De Jong, Marin.
Chelsea: Arrizabalaga, Azpilicueta, Tomori, Zouma, Alonso, Jorginho, Kovacic, Hudson-Odoi, Mount, Willian, Abraham.
Subs: Caballero, Giroud, Pulisic, Batshuayi, James, Emerson Palmieri, Gilmour.
Referee: Ovidiu Alin Hategan (Romania)
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Frank Lampard speaks: “We have confidence in ourselves, but it’s a tough match,” said Chelsea’s manager, when asked if he and his team have confidence in themselves and if he thought it would be a tough match. “I watched them play last year and I know their team has changed slightly. I’m very aware of the new threats they have. They’ve won their two Champions League games convincingly.”
And on his thoughts and dreams? “We expect a really tough match against a team that performed last year and have won both games in this group comfortably. It’s going to be a tough match, I don’t think the five wins [in a row Chelsea are on] mean anything other than that hopefully we have some confidence. But this will be a completely different challenge which we obviously need to be ready for.”
Erik ten Hag speaks: “Ajax is no favourite when we play against a Premier League club,” said the home manager, possibly upon being told his team are the bookie’s favourites to win tonight. “But we are going for the win, that is always our intention. We want to play our own game to our own strengths.
“In top competitions you have to be prepared to battle. But a sensible approach is always better. We have to be very good on the ball and not try to match their pace. We must be patient on the ball and choose the right moments to go deep.” Stirring stuff.
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Chelsea team news
Ross Barkley misses out after injuring his ankle in Chelsea’s win over Newcastle on Saturday, while N’Golo Kante will also sit this one out after injuring his groin while on international duty with France. Andreas Christensen (hamstring) and Antonio Rudiger (groin) have also been left at home.
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Ajax team news
Nicolas Tagliafico makes a welcome return to the Ajax ranks after missing out on their laboured Eredivisie victory over bottom-dwellers RKC Waalwijk at the weekend through suspension. His inclusion means Erik ten Hag is in the enviable position of having a fully fit squad to choose from.
Group H: Ajax v Chelsea
The Amsterdam Arena is the venue for what could be a fascinating encounter between last year’s semi-finalists and the reigning Europa League champions.
Erik ten Hag’s men sit top of the group with two wins from two, while Frank Lampard’s side have won one of their two games and sit level on points with Valencia. Lille currently sit bottom of the group with what our friends in France might describe as nul points. Kick-off tonight is at 5.55pm (BST), but stay tuned in the meantime for team news and build-up.
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