ajax pegged back by apoel published: tuesday 30 september 2014, 23.00cet apoel fc 1-1 afc ajax gustavo manduca cancelled out lucas andersen's opener to secure a first group f point for the home side. by vassiliki papantonopoulou from gsp stadium
• apoel and ajax remain without a win in group f after draw in nicosia • lucas andersen pokes ajax ahead after urko pardo denied lasse schöne • gustavo manduca responded on 31 minutes from the penalty spot • second half remains goalless despite chances at both ends • next games: apoel v paris, barcelona v ajax (21 october)
a highly entertaining encounter in nicosia ended all square as apoel fc pegged back afc ajax to ensure both sides failed to get their first group f win at the second attempt.
the visitors signaled their intent with scarcely 100 seconds on the clock. apoel were still napping as the dutch side swiftly moved between the lines, working the ball to the feet of lasse schöne on the left. the dane's delicious cross though was wasted, as kolbeinn sigthórsson fired wide from close range. the hosts were looking in trouble as ajax settled and commanded proceedings comfortably, producing the majority of their attacking moves from the right side.
ıt did take ajax 28 minutes to capitalise on their superiority. schöne beat the offside trap but his shot was saved brilliantly by urko pardo. however the ball landed at the feet of lucas andersen whose cool finish broke the deadlock. the lead did not last long, however. three minutes later, ricardo van rhijn was judged to have handled the ball in his box and gustavo manduca expertly converted the spot kick.
that equaliser shifted momentum as the home side gained metres on the pitch and become increasingly dangerous, while closing down space in their own half. sensing blood they attacked, and came very close to a second goal three minutes before half-time. manduca launched a counterattack from the left and produced a great cross, but cillian sheridan just failed to make contact, leaving ajax goalkeeper jasper cillessen sighing with relief.
after the interval the match gained pace as both sides came out of the dressing rooms determined to exploit their chances, each one making the most of their strongest attributes; apoel's experience and ajax's youthful vigour. the game could have swung either way – and the 54th minute summed things up. schöne tested pardo's reflexes with a powerful shot and within a matter of seconds, stathis aloneftis produced an excellent cross at the other end only for sheridan to misplace his header by a fraction.
with 20 minutes to go cillessen stopped mário sérgio’s fierce shot before ajax flew down the other end only for pardo's instincts to kick in and deny sigthórsson. the visitors pushed late on, davy klaassen sending a late header just off target, but apoel held firm and the spoils were shared.
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