published: wednesday 17 september 2014, 22.54cet afc ajax 1-1 paris saint-germain
zlatan ıbrahimović's return to the amsterdam arena ended in a group f draw as lasse schöne cancelled out edinson cavani's strike.
• edinson cavani's tenth uefa champions league goal puts paris ahead • a shot from one-time ajax favourite zlatan ıbrahimović leads to the striker's finish • erstwhile ajax full-backs maxwell and gregory van der wiel also face their former club • lasse schöne equalises with a 74th-minute free-kick – ajax's first effort on target • next games: apoel v ajax, paris v barcelona (30 september)
lasse schöne cancelled out edinson cavani's opener as afc ajax came from behind to salvage a uefa champions league group f point against paris saint-germain.
the visitors had the first decent chance after eight minutes, only for lucas to work thiago motta's corner over the bar with his knees. the opening goal was not long in coming, though. nicolai boilesen's slip inside the penalty box conceded possession to lucas, who fed zlatan ıbrahimović. although the sweden captain's effort was blocked by joël veltman, cavani followed up to stroke in the loose ball.
a long-range free-kick by the former ajax striker was comfortably gathered by jasper cillessen as paris kept up the pressure. the dutch title holders had a couple of half-hearted attempts from distance but failed to sustain any forward momentum; front man kolbeinn sigthórsson barely touched the ball in the first half.
the ligue 1 team ought to have doubled their lead seconds after the restart. niklas moisander lost the ball to lucas, who, clean through and with all the time in the world, missed the target. this seemed to galvanise ajax and substitute niki zimling's rasping drive only just cleared salvatore sirigu's crossbar. ıbrahimović fired narrowly wide as the game opened up and then had a low free-kick smothered by the dutch no1.
anwar el ghazi replaced sigthórsson as frank de boer sought more firepower, but the next clear opportunity again fell to the french champions, gregory van der wiel shooting tamely at cillessen when sent clear by lucas. the brazil midfielder was revelling in his role as provider, although marquinhos could only head his whipped free-kick past the upright midway through the second period.
such profligacy was to prove costly as ajax levelled with a little under a quarter of an hour remaining. marquinhos brought down thulani serero on the edge of the penalty area and sirigu failed to keep out schöne's free-kick, despite getting his right hand to it. the danish international came so close to a repeat strike three minutes later, though this time sirigu's touch ushered the ball against a post.
