Zlantan disappointing against Ajax

COMMENT: A lacklustre performance from Laurent Blanc's side in Amsterdam suggests there is a great deal of work to do if they are to challenge for top honours

It was the evening in which Zlatan Ibrahimovic was supposed to make a triumphant return to Ajax, the club where he first made his name. Instead, it proved to be a night of frustration for Paris Saint-Germain,
who were held 1-1 after initially grabbing the lead and looking very comfortable for the majority of the encounter.

Those who have watched Laurent Blanc’s side away from home this season would not have been surprised. On the road they have failed to win, having drawn unconvincingly against Evian, Reims and Rennes – hardly leading lights in France’s top flight.

And from the moment Lasse Schone’s fierce free-kick beat a leaden-footed Salvatore Sirigu with little over quarter of an hour remaining, it was the hosts who looked much the better side. Indeed, Schone even had another thumping drive touched onto the post by the Italian goalkeeper.

Match Stats — Team Stats

AjaxV.Paris Saint Germain

• Attack
• General Play
• Distribution
• Defence & Discipline

• Attack

  Goals

  Ajax	Comparison	Paris Saint Germain
  1	50%50%	1

  Total Shots

  Ajax	Comparison	Paris Saint Germain
  11	42.3%57.7%	15

  Shots On Target

  Ajax	Comparison	Paris Saint Germain
  2	25%75%	6

  Blocked Shots

  Ajax	Comparison	Paris Saint Germain
  4	57.1%42.9%	3

  Shots from outside the box

  Ajax	Comparison	Paris Saint Germain
  11	64.7%35.3%	6

  Shots from inside the box

  Ajax	Comparison	Paris Saint Germain
  0	0%100%	9

  Shot Accuracy (excluding blocked shots)

  Ajax	Comparison	Paris Saint Germain
  28.6%	36.4%63.6%	50%

From the perspective of the French champions, they will see this result as punishment for a profligate performance in front of goal.

Blanc’s side made a positive start to the game and took the lead when Lucas Moura’s persistence drew a careless error from Nicolai Boilesen. The winger did his best to set up Ibrahimovic, though the Swede’s shot was blocked on the line. Edinson Cavani might have followed up by scoring, but it was a moment that summed up a frustrating evening for the former Inter and Barcelona superstar.

Indeed, his team-mates did not have much better luck. Lucas, in particular, blew hot and cold, though he was culpable of missing the evening’s best chance early in the second period. Having seized on another moment of farcical slackness from the Dutch, he almost had too much time to weigh up his options and ended up firing wide when clean through.

Marquinhos, who was generally excellent at the heart of the defence in the continued absence of Thiago Silva, headed wide after a brilliantly arced free-kick from his compatriot as the visitors paid for not applying the killer touch despite having the upper hand for long periods.

It was certainly not a game that backed up the words of Ibrahimovic, who last month suggested they are serious contenders to become European champions.

"I think we can win it. We have a good opportunity," the striker claimed. "This team's made to play in top tournaments. You need to work hard and to have a bit of luck with you.

"In the key moments, you need to have the small details on your side. I think we have that in our team now.

"We have more experience too, especially after last season. So we can do it."

But the supposed knowhow of the Parisians counted for naught late on in the Netherlands, where the home side, swept forward by a remarkable support, carried the momentum to the final whistle and suggested they were the likelier winners. The ball retention of the Championnat side was dreadful and they were left clinging on come full-time.

A draw is by no means a catastrophe for Blanc and his side – Ajax will probably need to go to Paris and win in the return fixture – yet for a club of such ambition the performance was a disappointing one. The Frenchmen had Ajax where they wanted them, but they did not have the ruthless nature to finish them off.