Borussia Dortmund also lost out in their second encounter with Ajax Amsterdam. On Wednesday evening, BVB lost 1:3 to the Dutch despite a lead – not least, because referee Michael Oliver misjudged a duel scene after just under half an hour.
In the end, it was an unjustified referee decision that gave the game a twist. Dortmund had started the game well on Wednesday evening, they had controlled the ball and the opponent in the first 30 minutes – but then Hummels was shown the red card for a tackle on Antony (29th). A momentous sending-off, with which referee Michael Oliver had a considerable influence on the game and deprived BVB of their dominance.
Black and yellow initially took the lead through a penalty kick by Reus (37th), but the red card was ultimately too much of a burden. After the break, Ajax Amsterdam turned the game around, claimed their fourth win and booked their ticket to the knockout phase. Dortmund, on the other hand, dropped to third place in Group C.
Tigges starts in place of Pongracic
After the 2-0 defeat to Cologne, BVB coach Marco Rose had changed the system, calling striker Tigges into the starting eleven in place of defender Pongracic and aligning his team in a 4-3-3. Ajax coach Erik ten Hag used the same formation as a fortnight ago in the 4-0 first leg, but now faced a different Dortmund team.
In front of 54,820 spectators at the Signal-Iduna-Park, Borussia started briskly. Hummels came close early on with a header (2nd), soon after Bellingham missed a first big chance (8th). BVB was on top, but went into the dressing room with a lead after the sending-off also because Ajax left some good scoring chances in the final phase of the first half. Once the ball landed on the crossbar of the Dortmund box (45th), once Kobel saved with his foot (45.+2).
After the break, the visitors were on the attack. Black and yellow hardly provided any relief when they were outnumbered – and Antony came up trumps. First he found Tadic with a cross, because the substitute Pongracic involuntarily extended (72nd), then Haller scored with his head after an Antony cross (83rd), before Klaassen converted an Antony cross and set the final point (90.+3). Thus, BVB had to admit defeat to Ajax for the second time. Rose’s team is now level in the table with Sporting Lisbon, their next opponent in three weeks.
