Timothy Weah found the net but Lille let their lead slip as Ajax scored twice in the closing stages to secure a 2-1 win in the duo's UEFA Europa League first-leg tie on Thursday.
THE MATCH
Lille had lost both UEFA Champions League games to Ajax in last season's group stage, but came into their reunion with the confidence born of being Ligue 1 Uber Eats leaders. Ajax have been impressive domestically too, though, and it took a superb piece of anticipation from Mike Maignan to deny Antony the opening goal (28').
Davy Klaassen narrowly failed to connect with a pass that would have played him in behind shortly after the interval (47'), then sent a shot over the bar when well placed (48') and forced Maignan to intervene (49') in a positive start to the second half from the visitors.
Lille struggled to find their usual fluency as Ajax dominated. Daley Blind fired over (64') and David Neres struck the crossbar (65') before the hosts struck against the run of play.
Nicolas Tagliafico was hurried into a mistake by Zeki Celik, sending his backpass — intended for Maarten Stekelenburg — into the path of Weah, who coolly accepted the gift (72').
Tagliafico was able to make amends as he was brought down by Renato Sanches, a foul that — after the intervention of VAR — allowed Dusan Tadic to send Maignan the wrong way from the penalty spot to level the scores (84').
With Lille on the ropes, Ajax struck again. Klaassen directed the ball into the path of substitute Brian Brobbey, who fired low through Maignan's legs to give the Amsterdam giants the advantage ahead of next week's second leg in the Netherlands.
THE PLAYER: Mike Maignan
The Lille goalkeeper kept Ajax at bay for a long time, and the return fixture would have been all but anecdotal but for him.
THE STAT: 5
USMNT striker Weah now has five goals in all competitions this season, two of them in the Europa League.
