MY ACCOUNT
Darwin Nunez headed a late winner as Benfica secured their place in the Champions League quarter-finals with a 1-0 victory at Ajax, sealing a 3-2 aggregate win in the last-16 tie.
A 2-2 draw in the first leg in Lisbon had left the contest finely poised, and Erik ten Hag’s home side dictated from the outset at the Johan Cruijff Arena on Tuesday.
However, it was Benfica who struck decisively in the 77th minute when Nunez powered in the Portuguese visitors’ first attempt on target to send Nelson Verissimo’s side through.
Benfica will now wait to find out the identity of their opponents in the last-eight draw on Friday, with the two-leg clashes set to take place across early April.
Ajax dominated the opening exchanges and Sebastien Haller turned home after just seven minutes, but a belated offside flag against Dusan Tadic cut short the celebrations.
Antony tested Odisseas Vlachodimos from range, and Ryan Gravenberch saw a fizzing strike tipped over as Ten Hag’s players continued in authoritative fashion but without reward before the break.
Tadic skewed off target as Ajax picked up where they left off after the interval, before an unmarked Jan Vertonghen offered the hosts a scare as he headed wide from a presentable chance.
Antony almost broke the deadlock, but his headed effort narrowly missed the top-left corner, and Ajax’s failure to convert proved costly with 13 minutes remaining.
Nunez towered above goalkeeper Andre Onana to meet Alex Grimaldo’s inswinging free-kick from the right flank and he clinically headed into the left corner, dramatically snatching the spoils for Benfica.
