Amsterdam (AFP)

Lille were eliminated in the round of 16 of the Europa League after their defeat (2-1) Thursday on the lawn of Ajax Amsterdam and may have regrets after their good performance.

A week after being stifled at home by Ajax (1-2), Losc, despite several changes in the starting XI, had a very good return match but was not paid for his efforts.

The Dutch, shaken by Lille, were very effective, scoring on their only opportunity in the first period by Davy Klaassen (15th).

The Mastiffs, admirable envy, ended up equalizing on a penalty by Yusuf Yazici (78th) and pushed by snatching the extension, but did not succeed.

And by discovering each other, they offered spaces to the Batavians, who took advantage of it by David Neres (88th).

A year and a half after a double one-sided confrontation in the Champions League against the Amstellodamois (3-0, 2-0) despite interesting performances, the march was still a little too high for the leader of Ligue 1, who is however, fell arms in hand.

In view of the next matches in the league against Strasbourg on Sunday and Marseille on Wednesday, Christophe Galtier had created a surprise by leaving on the bench Benjamin André and Jonathan David for the benefit of Xeka and Timothy Weah, who occupied the front of the attack with Yazici.

- The effective Ajax -

Despite these rotations, the Losc started the game very well and created two chances in quick succession, a center-shot from Weah was first deflected with the tip of the gloves by Maarten Stekelenburg, and in the process, the strike powerful Xeka was pushed back in front of her line by Lisandro Martinez (4th).

Then Sven Botman did not frame his recovery from a corner (12th), Renato Sanches shot aside (13th) and especially a curled shot from Weah came to die at the foot of the Amsterdam left post (19th).

In the meantime, Ajax, though dominated by the Mastiffs, showed formidable efficiency by opening the scoring against the run of the game: on a free kick from Dusan Tadic, Klaassen got rid of the marking of Zeki Celik for mark with his head.

Lille protested to the referee for a flagrant obstruction on Botman, but video assistance did not intervene (1-0, 15th).

This goal restored confidence to the Dutch, who were less endangered than at the start of the meeting by valiant Lille, like Sanches, in all the right moves, or Weah, who again created a situation. by pressing the opposing defense, but his center was countered (43rd).

- A history of penalties -

Just before half-time, Lille should have benefited from a penalty for Antony's foul on Sanches, but neither the referee nor the VAR saw fit to point it out (45th + 1).

As soon as they returned from the locker room, Lille again created several consecutive situations, but Sanches did not frame (47th), Bamba did not support his shot enough against Stekelenburg (50th), who then captured a new attempt by Weah (54th).

And when he was beaten, Sanches 'low shot grazed his right post (60').

Ajax then woke up and Mike Maignan maintained the suspense by beautifully repelling a point blank attempt from Klaassen (67th) and a shot from Neres (72nd).

Shortly after, Jonathan David got a penalty thanks to the intervention of the VAR and Yazici transformed him and restarted the meeting (1-1, 78th).

Le Losc then rushed into the attack, but it was ultimately the Batavians who ended the debate by doubling the bet by Neres (88th) to resume the lead on the line.

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