The match started five minutes later than planned, because the Ajax team bus experienced some delay on its way to the Afas Stadium. The team from Amsterdam did their usual warm-up, so the AZ players were almost ready to go on the field for the game when the visitors just went inside to put on their match shirt.
It turned out to be the prelude to a first half that was full of irritation and disturbances. Pantelis Hatzidiakos and Aslak Witry clashed with Sébastien Haller, Antony argued with Bruno Martins Indi, and Zakaria Aboukhlal clashed hard with André Onana.
Bruno Martins Indi, Antony and Owen Wijndal are at odds with each other.
Ⓒ ANP/HH
It was a lot of searching for opportunities in the first 45 minutes, and the first one for Ajax was immediately hit. Steven Berghuis sent Antony deep, who played Dusan Tadic. The Serb did not come out well with the ball, but the continued Berghuis did. He scored the 0-1 with a hard shot through the post. Antony hit the bar again, but that was the Amsterdam danger of the first act. AZ offered very little in return, the only time the Alkmaar fans saw their team fire at the enemy goal was a left shot from Jesper Karlsson, which disappeared high over.
Steven Berghuis shoots Ajax 0-1.
Ⓒ ANP/HH
In the second half the storm of unfriendliness abated, but the chances and opportunities remained scarce. Berghuis tried again with a not too hard attempt from distance, substitute Tijjani Reijnders was unable to surprise Onana either and Antony saw his trademark (coming in and shooting) end in the hands of Peter Vindahl Jensen. Berghuis tried again fifteen minutes before the end with a vicious effort, but Vindahl Jensen’s intervention was sufficient.
Klaassen closes the duel
With public favorite Sam Beukema at the front, AZ went on the hunt for the 1-1 in the final phase, but it was not possible for the team of trainer Pascal Jansen, who competed in the competition and in Europe this Thursday evening. a good series going on. In fact, in the final minute one substitute, Nicolas Tagliafico, gave the ball to another substitute: Davy Klaassen. With that, the game was decided at the start of stoppage time.
And so the two traditional top clubs face each other for the first time since 2006 in the final of the cup tournament. Sixteen years ago, Ajax came out on top with a goal by Klaas-Jan Huntelaar in the final minute: 2-1. Previously, Huntelaar had already scored the opening goal, which was polished away by Michael Lamey.