Ajax pick up vital 0-2 win away to Union Saint Gilloise in the Europa League
Ajax picked up a convincing win against Royale Union Saint Gilloise on Thursday in Brussels. The Amsterdammers won the first match of their two legs in the UEFA Europa League play-off 0-2 with goals from Christian Rasmussen and 16-year-old Jorthy Mokio, who became the youngest player to score in a European game for the Amsterdam club. The second leg will be played in Amsterdam next week.
Francesco Farioli made noticeable changes, with many of his usual starting 11 taking a spot on the bench. Brian Brobbey, Josip Sutalo, Kenneth Taylor, and Bertrand Traoré all started on the bench. They were replaced by Lucas Rosa, Oliver Edvardsen, Christian Rasmussen, and Jorthy Mokio.
The first danger of the game came from the home team on a terrible pitch at the Koning Boudewijnstadion. Franjo Ivanovic’s shot was saved by goalkeeper Remko Pasveer and then just about knocked away from Promise David before he could score.
But it was Ajax who were closest to breaking the deadlock in the first half. A corner by Steven Berghuis was headed toward goal by Youri Baas and then almost knocked in by Oliver Edvardsen, but it was cleared by the Union defense at the last second.
Ajax broke the deadlock in the 59th minute. Edvardsen played the ball onto Christian Rasmussen, whose finish was fantastic. Hard and into the corner via the post.
The away side was in control, and they doubled their lead in the 70th minute. Jorthy Mokio made a terrific impression in midfield for Ajax, and he capped it off with a terrific goal. A corner by Berghuis was headed to the edge of the area to Mokio, who volleyed it out of the air into the corner. This made it 0-2 for Ajax, and that was the final score.
It is a hugely important win for the Amsterdammers, who have a fantastic defensive record under manager Francesco Farioli. The Amsterdammers will now be focused on Sunday, where they will hope to keep their spot at the top of the Eredivisie table at home to Heracles Almelo.
