Fenerbahce 1-0 Ajax: Fernandao grabs late triumph

The substitute hit the net with a header after replacing Van Persie, who did not enjoy his evening and was replaced in the second half before the hosts grabbed the breakthrough

Fernandao came to the rescue for Fenerbahce to secure a 1-0 victory over Ajax in Istanbul on Thursday night. 

The striker’s goal in the 89th minute proved to be enough to gift Vitor Pereira’s men all three points in the crucial Group A clash, just when it looked as though the teams were headed for a stalemate in Istanbul. 

Ajax pushed the pace early on and looked confident from the opening kick-off, but Fenerbache responded brilliantly, denied an opener only by the wonderful goalkeeping of Jasper Cillessen. 

Inside 15 minutes it was Diego who tried his luck from distance forcing the keeper into action, before Nani sent a delightful cross in for Robin Van Persie seconds later, but miraculously the Ajax keeper was able get a hand to it to keep it off the line. 

The confidence seemed to wear off quickly as Frank de Boer’s side dictated possession for the remainder of the half, though lacked the quality needed to really test Fabiano.

Again it was Fenerbahce who threatened to open the scoring when Van Persie found a pocket of space atop the area after 32 minutes on the counter, but his shot lacked the pace to beat Cillessen who was in fine form on the night, ensuring the match remained scoreless into the break. 

With added pressure on the hosts to walk away with three points, they arrived in the second half with a spring in their step and began to take charge. 

Their persistence nearly paid off shortly past the hour mark as Josef de Souza directed a header at goal from Nani’s corner, but Lasse Schone positioned himself well at the far post to make a vital clearance off the line. 

Ajax responded through Davy Klaassen, but the skipper saw his improvised flick on from a Schone free kick stopped brilliantly by Fabiano. 

Vitor Pereira grew frustrated with the lack of quality posed by his side in attack and decided it was time to bring on his leading goalscorer Fernandao for the final 20 minutes, setting the scene for a dramatic finish. 

The Brazilian rose well to meet Caner Erkin’s corner kick in the final minute of the 90 and his header took enough of a deflection off Klaassen to trick Cillessen, nestling into the back of the net for the elusive winner.