Ajax have a 2-0 lead at half-time over Atalanta, after an avoidable Dusan Tadic penalty and Lassina Traore pouncing on a Marco Sportiello error.
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This was an historic occasion, the first Champions League match La Dea played in Bergamo, as last season the Gewiss Stadium wasn’t up to code, so they used San Siro instead. Unfortunately, it came days after new lockdown measures due to COVID, so it was played behind closed doors.
Although they won 4-0 away to Midtjylland, they lost both Serie A games around that, and had to do without injured Marten de Roon, Mattia Caldara and Cristiano Piccini. Ajax relied on Lassina Traore, who scored four goals when they beat Venlo 13-0 at the weekend, though Mohammed Kudus and Jan-Klaas Huntelaar were out.
Traore was booked six minutes in for going studs-up on Marco Sportiello as the goalkeeper was trying to clear an awkwardly-bouncing ball.
Josip Ilicic completed a give-and-go with Berat Djimsiti only to then balloon the finish over from 12 yards in a big scoring opportunity. Duvan Zapata also fired wide after running on to an Ilicic through ball.
Sportiello smothered an Antony daisy-cutter, but Robin Gosens attempted an audacious, acrobatic and ultimately ill-advised clearance on Lassina Traore as the Ajax man tried to chest down a Nicolas Tagliafico ball over the top. It was dangerous and the referee awarded a penalty, which Dusan Tadic converted with a dinked finish.
Mario Pasalic’s first touch let him down on the counter, but Atalanta were made to pay for an error when Sportiello fumbled the low Neres cross from the left and Traore was ready to bundle the rebound over from a couple of yards.
Atalanta 0-2 Ajax (Half-Time)
Tadic pen 30 (Aj), Traore 38 (Aj)
Atalanta: Sportiello; Toloi, Romero, Djimsiti; Hateboer, Pasalic, Freuler, Gosens; Gomez; Ilicic, Duvan Zapata
Ajax: Onana; Mazraoui, Schuurs, Blind, Tagliafico; Klaassen, Tadic, Gravenberch; Antony, L Traore, Neres
Ref: Skomina (SVN)
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