The Ivorian Sebastien Haller scored a goal poker game in Ajax’s victory at Sporting 1-5, in a match in which the Dutch team crushed the Lisbon team and in which the Brazilian right-winger Antony, trained at São Paulo and that it was a continuous pain for the rear of «the lions».
Sporting Portugal barely had time to savor a return to the Champions League four years later, as Sebastien Haller of Ivorian opened the scoring for the Dutch after 68 seconds into the game.
Sporting was unlucky, as the Brazilian winger Antony’s shot, near the right corner of the area, touched a defender, threw Antonio Adán off the track, crashed into the base of the post and Haller took advantage of it at will.
The player made his debut in the Champions League and only one rookie in this competition had managed to score faster. It was Andreas Moller in 1995, who scored at 37 seconds for Borussia Dortmund
With no time to assimilate the blow, Sporting’s left wing was once again a strainer. Antony sped down Ruben Vinagre’s right and served forward Sebastien Haller at will.
Sporting was missing Nuno Mendes, the 19-year-old left-back who signed for Paris Saint Germain on the last market day.
The problems increased for Sporting with the injury of the young center-back Gonçalo Inácio, which was a doubt until the last moment. He was replaced by the Portuguese Ricardo Esgaio.
However, fortune was allied with “the lions”, thanks to a gift from the veteran Ajax goalkeeper, Pasveer – who arrived this season from Vitesse – who ate a shot from Paulinho.
The respite for the Lisboners did not last long, since, once again, a play by the right wing started by Antony was the third for Ajax. The winger combined with Ryan Gravenberg and the latter served for Steven Berghuis, a player who came to Ajax this summer from Feyenoord and who scored against a very passive defense.
Thus ended the first half, which served for Amorim to seat Vinagre and Jovane to give entry to the Spanish Sarabia and Matheus Reis.
Two minutes after the restart, exbetic Feddal center-left, who headed the back of the net from the edge of the Portuguese Paulinho. However, the goal was disallowed by VAR, as the spiker came from offside.
And from the possible 2-3 to 1-4 in the 51st minute. Again, Antony on the left who served as a masterful form from the outside for Sebastien Haller to push the ball. It was the hat-trick for the Ivory Coast striker.
In the 53rd minute, Badajoz side Pedro Porro was able to reduce differences, but his shot hit the post and ended up in the hands of the Dutch goalkeeper.
It was the night of Aller, who arrived last January from West Ham, and in 63 he scored his particular goal poker after receiving between the centrals, controlled with the right and beat Adam with his left foot.
With this result, the end of the match would be reached and where Ajax showed their credentials in the first Champions League game.
Match sheet:
1 – Sporting: Adam; Feddal, Neto, Gonçalo Inácio (Esgaio, d. 21); Porro, Palhinha, Matheus and Ruben Vinagre (Matheus Reis, d. 45); Jovane Cabral (Pablo Sarabia, d. 45), Nuno Santos (Tiago Tomas, d. 60) and Paulinho (Bragança, d. 78)
5 – Ajax: Pasveer; Mazraoui (Rensch, m. 71), Timber, Martínez and Blind; Álvarez, Berghuis (Taylor, d. 77) and Gravenberch; Anthony (David Neres, d. 70), Haller and Tadic.
Goals: 0-1, min. 2: Sebastien Haller; 0-2, min. 8: Sebastien Haller; 1-2, min. 33: Paulinho; 1-3, min. 39: Steven Berghuis; 1-4, min. 51: Sebastien Haller; 1-5, min. 51: Sebastien Haller.
– Referee: José María Sánchez Martínez (Spain). He admonished Palinha from Sporting and Jurrien Timber, Edson Álvarez and Lisandro Martínez from Ajax
– Incidents: Match played at the José Alvalade Stadium in Lisbon, corresponding to the first day of Group C of the Champions League. EFE (HN)