Thursday’s Europa League Round of 32 first leg between Lille and Ajax featured a heavy dose of CONCACAF as the USMNT’s Timothy Weah and Canada’s Jonathan David started for the French side while Mexico’s Edson Álvarez went the full 90 for the Dutch team in their dramatic 2-1 win at Stade Pierre Mauroy.
With Weah, David, Renato Sanches, Yusuf Yazici and Jonathan Bamba leading the charge for Lille, it figured to be a busy afternoon for Álvarez in the defensive midfield position. He did well to shutdown David at the edge of the area in the 11th minute but received the game's first yellow card in the 12th after going in hard on Sanches.
Still, Álvarez was key to holding the middle of the park while completing two tackles and winning more defensive aerials (four) than any other player. He also provided one key pass going the other way, but it was the USMNT’s Weah who opened the scoring in the 72nd-minute following a godawful back-pass from Nicolás Tagliafico.
¡Gooooooooool del Lille! ⚽
Error garrafal de Tagliafico que Timothy Weah aprovecha para poner en ventaja a los franceses. @LOSC_ES 1-0 @AFCAjax #UEL | #Lille | #Ajax¡En vivo!
@Galavision
Síguelo aquí https://t.co/qFgZuTFD0Q pic.twitter.com/vBrl00kAyF— TUDN USA (@TUDNUSA) February 18, 2021
Tagliafico would make amends with just three minutes remaining by drawing a foul in the area from Sanches. Dušan Tadić converted the penalty.
¡Penal para el Ajax!
Tagliafico cae en el área y con todo y la revisión en el VAR, se marca la pena máxima. ⚽@LOSC_ES 1-0 @AFCAjax #UEL | #Lille | #Ajax¡En vivo!
@Galavision
Síguelo aquí https://t.co/qFgZuTFD0Q pic.twitter.com/ve9B2LeaVK— TUDN USA (@TUDNUSA) February 18, 2021
¡Gooooooooool del Ajax! ⚽
Tadic hace efectivo el penal con todo y que Edson Álvarez no quiso ni verlo. @LOSC_ES 1-0 @AFCAjax #UEL | #Lille | #Ajax¡En vivo!
@Galavision
Síguelo aquí https://t.co/qFgZuTFD0Q pic.twitter.com/vp7pKnNTaD— TUDN USA (@TUDNUSA) February 18, 2021
That was devastating for Lille, as evidenced by Ajax’s winner just two minutes later. Brian Brobbey provided the finish, but it’s the pass from Davy Klaassen that deserves our praise.
¡Goooooooool del Ajax!
En menos de cinco minutos, el equipo de Edson Álvarez ya le dio la vuelta a la eliminatoria. @LOSC_ES 1-2 @AFCAjax #UEL | #Lille | #Ajax¡En vivo!
@Galavision
Síguelo aquí https://t.co/qFgZuTFD0Q pic.twitter.com/xiLuuoyC11— TUDN USA (@TUDNUSA) February 18, 2021
The second leg in Amsterdam is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 25.
