Ajax a step nearer to Champions League knock-out stage

A 1-1 draw against Benfica of Lisbon put Amsterdam football club Ajax a step closer to reaching the knock-out stage of this year’s Champions League competition on Wednesday evening.

Benfica scored a first half goal after a goalkeeping gaffe but Ajax keeper Andre Onana redeemed himself towards the end of the second half, after Dusan Tadic’s equaliser, when he pulled off a reflex save with his foot.

Benfica remain four points behind Ajax in group E, with six points still on the table. Bayern Munich are now two points clear of Ajax at the top.

If Ajax qualify for the next stage, it will be the first time the Amsterdammers have made it through to the round of 16 in 13 years.

‘First we have a game against AEK in Athens, so that’s the game we have to focus on – then we’ll think about Bayern,’ Ajax captain Matthijs de Ligt told the Uefa website after the match. ‘Hopefully we can win in Athens and then fight for first place.’