LONDON: Former European champions Ajax Amsterdam were held to a 2-2 draw at PAOK Thessaloniki in the first leg of their Champions League third qualifying round tie while Red Star Belgrade could only manage a 1-1 home draw against FC Copenhagen on Tuesday.
Azeri champions Qarabag took a big step towards the playoff round with a 2-1 win at Cypriot side APOEL but Dinamo Zagreb left their progress hanging in the balance after the Croats played out a 1-1 home draw against Hungary’s Ferencvaros.
A Hans Vaneken penalty late in the first half gave Club Brugge a 1-0 home win against Dynamo Kiev.
Last season’s semi-finalists Ajax, who have won Europe’s premier club competition four times, came within seconds of reaching the final last term but again must come through a series of qualifiers despite landing a 34th Dutch title in May.
Hakim Ziyech put Ajax ahead on 10 minutes in the cauldron of PAOK’s Tumba stadium in Greece when his devilish free-kick grazed the head of a defender and flashed beyond PAOK goalkeeper Alexandros Paschalakis.
Roared on by a fervent home crowd, PAOK turned the tide before halftime when former Arsenal youngster Chuba Akpom capped a flowing move with a fine finish from 10 metres.
Defender Leo Matos headed home a Diego Biseswar free-kick to give PAOK, who went unbeaten last season on their way to winning the Greek title for the first time in more than three decades, the lead in the 39th minute against an Ajax team that is rebuilding after losing Matthijs de Ligt to Juventus and Frenkie de Jong to Barcelona this summer.
Ajax, who suffered a last-gasp defeat by Tottenham Hotspur in last season’s semis, piled on the pressure after the break and Ziyech missed a glaring chance before veteran striker Klaas Jan Huntelaar equalised with a bizarre goal on the hour.
Fernando Varela’s poor clearance from Donny van de Beek’s cross rebounded off the 35-year old striker’s feet into the back of the net from close range and the visitors then dominated until the final whistle.
The two sides will meet in Amsterdam for the return leg next week, with the winner facing Qarabag or APOEL in a playoff for the group stage.
Goals from Mahir Emreli and Magaye Gueye gave Qarabag a 2-0 lead at APOEL before Giorgos Merkis pulled one back for the home side in the 90th minute.
Red Star, the 1991 champions, conceded a late equaliser after their striker Milan Pavkov reaffirmed his reputation for scoring in big games just before the break, only to be forced off the pitch at halftime by a recurring hamstring injury.
Pavkov, who netted twice in last season’s memorable 2-0 home win over eventual Champions League winners Liverpool in the group stage, fired Red Star ahead in the 44th minute at the Rajko Mitic stadium when he hooked a loose ball over keeper Sten Michael Grytebust.
Pavkov made way for Richmond Boakye and the hosts were punished in the closing stages for the Ghanaian forward’s second-half profligacy. Boakye missed a pair of gilt-edged chances to double Red Star’s lead before midfielder Dusan Jovancic fouled Copenhagen substitute Mas Jaume in the penalty area and Jonas Wind coolly converted the 84th-minute spot kick.
Dinamo’s Spanish midfielder Dani Olmo fired them ahead with a superb goal in the seventh minute as he took a clever back-heel by Mislav Orsic in his stride, nutmegged a defender and hit the far corner of the net with a crisp shot.
But Ferencvaros levelled against the run of play on the hour when David Siger beat Dominik Livakovic with a looping header after the keeper had parried a shot from 10 metres.
Published in Dawn, August 8th, 2019