UEFA Cup
March 12, 2009
Marseille
2 - 1
Ajax Amsterdam
UEFA Cup
19:45 GMT, March 12, 2009
Stade Velodrome, France
Referee: Ivan Bebek
Ten-men Ajax keep tie alive
Scoring Summary
| Marseille | Ajax Amsterdam |
|---|---|
| Benoit Cheyrou (19') | Luis Suárez (pen 36') |
| Mamadou Niang (33') |
Teams
Marseille failed to take maximum advantage against 10-man Ajax in the first leg of their UEFA Cup last-16 encounter, as the French side failed to extend their advantage after Gregory van der Wiel's first-half dismissal at the Stade Velodrome.
OM had raced into a two-goal lead with strikes from Benoit Cheyrou and Mamadou Niang putting them in the box seat after little more than half an hour.
Luis Suarez pulled a goal back for the visitors from the penalty spot three minutes later, but Ajax were soon on the back foot again when Van der Wiel was dismissed after 42 minutes for a second bookable offence.
Marseille, however, failed to make their advantage tell and Marco van Basten's team will now fancy their chances of turning the tie around at the Amsterdam ArenA next week.
Marseille took the lead in the 17th minute when Cheyrou received a Hatem Ben Arfa's pass on the left before slotting the ball home past Kenneth Vermeer, preferred ahead of fit-again skipper Maarten Stekelenburg, from 25 yards.
Things got worse for Van Basten's side shortly after with midfielder Rasmus Lindgren having to be withdrawn with an injury and the French side doubled their lead after 33 minutes.
Senegal international Mamadou Niang struck a right-footed shot from the left side of the six-yard box for his fourth goal in Europe this season.
Ajax responded well and hit back three minutes later when Eyong Enoh was fouled by Vitorino Hilton in the box.
Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez converted the resulting penalty to give Ajax a valuable away goal.
But they would go a man down after 42 minutes when centre-back Van der Wiel was sent off after picking up two bookings in the space of five minutes - the fourth and fifth yellow cards of an ill-tempered first half.
Van Basten was forced to sacrifice midfielder Urby Emanuelson and threw on Bruno Silva to shore up the Ajax defence, and the tactic worked to keep Marseille at bay.
Cheyrou twice drilled shots at Vermeer in the second half and Boudewijn Zenden tested the keeper with a curling effort with five minutes to go but the Ajax defence were resolute and Marseille were unable to find a way through.
With the score at 2-1 at the final whistle, coach Erik Gerets will be frustrated to travel to the Netherlands on March 18 with only a goal advantage.