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Two more Champions League Round of 16 clashes this morning (AEDT) and two more draws.
In Lisbon, Benfica and Ajax played out a high-scoring affair. 2-2 was the final score, with Dusan Tadic and Sebastien Haller getting the job done for the visitors. Ex-West Ham man Haller also put one in his own net – it seems he can’t stop scoring at either end just at the moment.
Tadic opened the scoring after some careless work from Benfica with an emphatic finish across the goalkeeper.
The hosts’ opening goal also came about through some sloppy defending, this time from Ajax. The Dutch side failed to clear a Benfica corner, and a well-hit ball across the face of goal from Jan Vertonghen in the second phase of play hit the unsuspecting Haller and past the goalkeeper.
Haller rectified the situation just a few minutes later, this time with a goal at the right end of the pitch. After his initial effort was parried by Odisseas Vlachodimos in the Benfica net, Haller was right there to tap in the rebound.
It was Roman Yaremchuck who got the hosts level in the 72nd minute. Ajax keeper Remko Pasveer failed to properly deal with a long-range strike, and Yaremchuck was the first to react.
It sets up an intriguing return leg at the Johan Cruijff Arena.
Meanwhile in Madrid the clash between two of European football’s biggest clubs finished 1-1, substitute Anthony Elanga’s late equaliser cancelling out Joao Felix’s opener.
Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid were coasting to a 1-0 first leg victory before United, who had created virtually nothing in the previous 78 minutes of play, managed to level through promising young gun Elanga.
It is undoubtedly a better result for the visitors, who head back to Old Trafford on level terms, and there will, of course, be no away goal rules in place that used to tip the scales in favour of the side travelling in the second leg.
Whether Ralf Rangnick’s men can get the job done in a high-pressure situation – well, that’s anyone’s guess.
After escaping Harry Maguire’s clutches, Felix got his name on the scoresheet in just the seventh minute with an emphatic header that cannoned in off the helpless David de Gea’s right upright.
It was a fantastic ball in from Renan Lodi that would frighten even the world’s best defenders.
For the next 73 minutes, United struggled to create anything of note. Atletico looked to be coasting and happy to take a 1-0 result at home heading into the return leg at Old Trafford.
Needing a goal, Rangnick introduced Elanga in the 75th minute and was rewarded by the youngster just five minutes later.
Bruno Fernandes carried the ball through Atletico’s midfield and as he so often does, found the perfect final ball.
Elanga still had a fair bit to do to beat Jan Oblak, but with the Slovenian’s positioning perhaps not optimal, United’s rising star found the net with a good strike.
The sides will return to action on March 16 (AEDT) at Old Trafford.
It should be an interesting clash, but United will need to show a lot more quality against an Atletico side full of weapons if they’re going to progress to the quarter-final stage.
Simeone no doubt will have his side ready and raring to go.
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