Olympique Lyonnais on the precipice after stalemate against Ajax Amsterdam
It was a frustrating evening at the Stade de Gerland for Ligue 1 side http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Olympique-Lyonnais-c40130 as they were held to a stalemate against Ajax Amsterdam in a vital Group D Champions League encounter.
Goalkeeper http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Kenneth-Vermeer-c20618 of Ajax turned in a heroic performance for the Amsterdammers who played a solid defensive game which could be enough for the Dutch giants to go into the last 16.
A win against Ajax could have taken Remi Garde’s side level on points with Ajax but a point apiece was all Lyon could extract and their last game against Dinamo Zagreb would be a crucial game. A win against Zagreb could see Lyon progress if Real Madrid beat
Ajax by a big goal difference which seems to be unlikely given Ajax’s latest defensive displays.
For most of the game, Lyon played high up the pitch and kept the pressure on the Ajax defence but it later on became a case of too little too late for Les Gones who must be hoping for a miracle in order to progress to the round of 16.
Lisandro Lopez started his first game for Lyon since returning from an ankle injury but the Argentine’s performance was a forgettable one as he never really posed a great threat to the Ajax defence.
Solid defensive display by the Dutch
If Ajax were unable to create a lot of scoring opportunities for themselves, Frank de Boer’s men made sure not to give Lyon attack any chances in front of the goal in the first half.
The game slowly started opening up a bit more in the second half as Lyon surged forward in search of a goal that would bring them level on points with Ajax. However, a resolute defensive display by Ajax made sure that Vermeer kept a clean sheet at the end
of the game.
Ederson impact
Brazilian midfielder Ederson was introduced late in the second half in place of an off colour Lisandro Lopez. The Brazilian’s introduction was exactly what Lyon needed as the 25-year-old made a nuisance of himself in the Ajax half. However, Ederson’s great
cameo was largely undone by Dutch keeper Vermeer who was equal to everything that was thrown at him in the final stages of the game.
A deft turn in the midfield by Ederson finally exposed the Ajax defence. http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Michel-Bastos-c25461 who first-time effort was parried away by Vermeer in the 81st minute.
A nervous moment in the game came when Ederson was bundled over by an Ajax defender just outside the penalty area. The resulting freekick taken by http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Yoann-Gourcuff-c37416 in the 89th minute barely missed the goal as the Ajax dugout heaved a sigh of relief.
Vermeer the hero once again
Young striker http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Alexandre-Lacazette-c4895 came later in the game and almost turned out to be his side’s saviour when his curling shot in the 90th minute was saved by Vermeer. That save turned out to be the last notable occasion of the game as the two
sides ended the game with a point apiece.
The result now means that Lyon’s chances of qualification hang by a thread while Ajax would be looking to repeat last night’s antic’s when they host Real Madrid at the Amsterdam Arena on Matchday 6 of the UEFA Champions League.
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