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Commentary
Minute
Description
90' +2
FULL-TIME - SPORTING 1-5 AJAX.
90'
Two minutes of stoppage time to come!
88'
Gravenberch, Neres and Haller are still in the mood for goals by the looks of things. While some of their team-mates are slowing the play down and wasting time, the trio are bursting forward with every opportunity.
86'
Lisandro Martínez gets yellow.
Cards galore at the minute as Martinez is booked for a poor challenge.
84'
Tomas joins Feddal in the book for dissent.
83'
Z. Feddal gets yellow.
Tiago Tomás gets yellow.
Feddal joins the likes of Palhinha, Timber and Alvarez in the referee's book after a sloppy challenge on the latter. Alvarez poked the ball away from the Sporting defender, and he did not take too kindly to that and produced a crunching challenge as a result.
82'
Since conceding the fifth goal, Sporting have done well to keep Ajax away from their box, but a large part of that is down to Ajax's subs and their lack of intensity.
81'
Ten Hag continues to protect his big guns, with Blind replaced by Schuurs.
80'
P. Schuurs enters the game and replaces D. Blind.
78'
Daniel Bragança enters the game and replaces Paulinho.
Amorim also makes another change as Paulinho is replaced by Braganca.
Minute
Description
77'
K. Taylor enters the game and replaces S. Berghuis.
Ten Hag comes to the edge of the touchline to shake Berghuis' hand as he makes way for Taylor.
73'
To their credit, Sporting are still trying to pile forward to grab another goal or two. Sadly it is too little too late and they will need to learn some valuable lessons!
70'
David Neres enters the game and replaces Antony.
D. Rensch enters the game and replaces N. Mazraoui.
Ten Hag also freshens up his midfield, with Rensch replacing Mazraoui.
Antony's night is over, and he deserves every cheer he's getting from the away fans thanks to his two assists. On comes Neres for the final 20 minutes.
63'
S. Haller has scored a goal for Ajax! Assist by N. Mazraoui.
HALLER HAS FOUR!!!! SPORTING 1-5 AJAX - Haller take a bow! The Ajax frontman takes his tally to four for the night, and he continues to make every single finish look incredibly easy. This time it was Mazraoui's turn to be the provider, and his powerful throughball picked out Haller. The Ivory Coast international turned his marker and waited for Adan to commit himself before placing the ball into the corner of the goal.
Mazraoui has been relatively quiet tonight, but that is some way to make an impact as he gets an assist thanks to a superb pass.
60'
Tiago Tomás enters the game and replaces Nuno Santos.
Santos' night is over, with Tomas making his way onto the field.
56'
The tempo in this match has been relentless. Every time Sporting think they have made an inroad; Ajax put them back in their place.
51'
S. Haller has scored a goal for Ajax! Assist by Antony.
Antony gets his second official assist of the night, and he also played a huge part in the opening goal. Haller will get all the plaudits, but Antony has been deadly for Ajax.
HALLER HAT-TRICK - SPORTING 1-4 AJAX - Haller will be taking the match ball home with him after another fine counter-attack from Ajax. Just moments after Sporting had a goal disallowed, Ajax carved them open as Antony's pass with the outside of his foot picked out Haller. Yet again, the striker was in the right place at the right time, and he did the rest as he flicked the ball into the net.
49'
E. Álvarez gets yellow.
Alvarez is shown a yellow card after a strong challenge on Paulinho.
46'
Pablo Sarabia enters the game and replaces Jovane Cabral.
Matheus Reis enters the game and replaces Rúben Vinagre.
We are back underway in Portugal!
Cabral also makes way, with Sarabia coming on in his place.
45' +4
HALF-TIME - SPORTING 1-3 AJAX.
45' +1
J. Timber gets yellow.
Timber is the second player to be carded after a miss-timed challenge near the halfway line.
45'
Three minutes of stoppage time to come...
Two changes for Sporting at the break - the first sees Reis replace Vinagre.
43'
Tadic avoids a card, despite a sloppy challenge on Porro.
40'
João Palhinha gets yellow.
Palhinha is the first player to be booked after a powerful challenge on Antony. The referee stormed across the pitch to hand out the card, and at first, it looked like it could be a red.
39'
S. Berghuis has scored a goal for Ajax! Assist by R. Gravenberch.
GOAAAALL - SPORTING 1-3 AJAX - The Dutch side carve open Sporting's defence and restore their two-goal cushion. Antony, Gravenberch and Berghuis were all involved, and it is the latter that fired home. After receiving the ball on the edge of the box from Antony, Gravenberch turned his marker and slipped Berghuis through on goal, and the midfielder did the rest as he fired his shot into the bottom corner.
Gravenberch had been pretty quiet before that goal, but his contribution was crucial as his pass allowed Berghuis to steam into the area.
33'
Paulinho has scored a goal for Sporting Lisbon! Assist by Matheus Nunes.
GOAAALLL - SPORTING 1-2 AJAX - A shocking error from Pasveer has given Sporting a lifeline as Paulinho gets himself on the scoresheet. The Sporting striker made his way into the box while under pressure, and rather than turn to retain possession; he decided to go for goal. Despite failing to generate any power on his strike, the ball trickles under Pasveer's body and into the empty net.
Matheus claims the assist after his throughball set Paulinho on his way, but he can consider himself fortunate after that howler from Pasveer.
30'
Ajax don't need to worry due to the scoreline, but it has been over 15 minutes since they last created a meaningful opportunity.
28'
Before kick-off, Ajax coach Ten Hag had won 46 per cent of his UEFA Champions League matches to date. That stat should improve if his team keep up this performance.
26'
It might have taken them nearly 30 minutes, but Sporting are starting to make more of a game of this. The home side are breaking up Ajax's play and at least looking threatening on the counter-attack.
21'
Ricardo Esgaio enters the game and replaces Gonçalo Inácio.
Esgaio gets the chance to impress from the bench as Inacio makes way due to injury.
17'
Inacio looks like he wants to try and run the injury off, but it is still one we will keep an eye on for the time being.
11'
What on earth must Amorim be thinking at the moment? All this build-up for a Champions League fixture and his team are in danger of being blown away.
9'
S. Haller has scored a goal for Ajax! Assist by Antony.
GOAAAALLLL!!! SPORTING 0-2 AJAX - Haller is at it again, and he has Antony to thank for the second time in eight minutes. The Ajax winger picked up possession and charged into the box before glancing to his left. Rather than go for goal, Antony played Haller in for a simple tap in and the former West Ham frontman slides in to double Ajax's lead. Incredible start from Ten Hag's side!
Antony showed superb awareness on that occasion to look for Haller, and he put his team first rather than go for goal himself.
6'
Sporting have made a torrid start so far, with the majority of their passes failing to connect.
4'
So after days of planning, Sporting's early gameplan goes out of the window. Amorim is pacing up and down the touchline, and his team need to regroup in front of their supporters.
2'
S. Haller has scored a goal for Ajax!
GOAAAALLLLL!!! SPORTING 0-1 AJAX - What a start from Ajax as they open the scoring inside two minutes. Antony came desperately close to scoring as his shot took a deflection onto the post. Sporting keeper Adan was out of position as a result, but Haller was on hand to pounce, and the ball trickled back into his path, allowing him to stoop and head home. VAR checked for offside, but the goal is given.
1'
We are underway!
Sporting manager Ruben Amorim will get to test himself in the Champions League after a marvellous league campaign last time out. His side ended a 19-year title drought last season, and they have maintained that form, enjoying a five-match unbeaten run at the start of the current campaign.
SPORTING (3-4-3): Antonio Adan; Luis Neto, Goncalo Inacio, Zouhair Feddal; Pedro Porro, Joao Palhinha, Matheus, Ruben Vinagre; Jovane Cabral, Paulinho, Nuno Santos.
Hello and welcome to tonight's live coverage of the Champions League encounter between Sporting CP and Ajax. The two teams have been drawn in Group C alongside Borussia Dortmund and Besiktas, and we should be in for an entertaining battle, with the two sides winning the Portuguese and Dutch top flights respectively last year.
SUBS: Matheus Reis, Andre Paulo, Joao Silva, Daniel Braganca, Joao Virgínia, Bruno Tabata, Pablo Sarabia, Manuel Ugarte, Goncalo Esteves, Geny Catamo, Ricardo Esgaio, Tiago Tomas.
AJAX (4-3-3): Remko Pasveer; Noussair Mazraoui, Jurrien Timber, Lisandro Martinez, Daley Blind; Edson Alvarez, Steven Berghuis, Ryan Gravenberch; Antony, Sebastian Haller, Dusan Tadic.
SUBS: Kenneth Taylor, Devyne Rensch, Mohammed Daramy, Nicolas Tagliafico, Perr Schuurs, Jay Gorter, Charlie Setford, David Neres, Danilo.
The two teams are out on the field, and the Champions League anthem is blaring out around the stadium, which never gets boring. We are just moments away from kick-off!
The best way to describe Ajax's performance so far is clinical. They haven't enjoyed a tonne of chances, but Ten Hag's men have punished Sporting at nearly every opportunity. Sporting are likely to make themselves even more vulnerable in the second 45 minutes as they try to find a way back into this tie.
Ajax's 35th Eredivisie success means they are also in the group stages this year, and like Sporting, they are yet to lose from their opening league games. Erik ten Hag's troops have won three and drawn one of their matches so far, and tonight's encounter could go right down to the wire with both teams in superb form.
That is all for tonight folks, thanks for joining us, goodbye!
Ajax made light work of the Sporting defence throughout the match, and that will give them plenty of confidence as they prepare to host Besiktas at the end of this month. Sporting have work to do if they are to have any chance of qualifying automatically, and they owe their fans a performance when they take on Estoril on Sunday.
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