AJAX Amsterdam took a confident step towards the European Cup semi finals yesterday with a 2-0 victory at Borussia Dortmund which provided clear proof of their tactical prowess.
After taking the lead in the eighth minute with a goal from Edgar Davids, Ajax played a tight but intelligent game which frustrated the Germans who finished the quarter final first leg with 10 men after key playmaker Matthias Sammer was sent off.
German international libero Sammer was dismissed in the 66th minute after an untidy tackle, his second bookable offence. Patrick Kluivert helped the Dutch champions take advantage with the visitors' second goal in the 83rd minute.
The victory helped defending champions Ajax extend their record unbeaten European Cup run to 18 matches. Their tactics worked perfectly. The Dutch team let Dortmund come at them and then punished them on the counter attack with some clinical finishing.
The Germans worked hard but Davids and Kluivert took their chances with superb composure. Dortmund had the early pressure. But the home fans in the capacity 35,800 crowd were silenced when Davids picked up a pass from Kluivert on the edge of the box and slotted the ball into the right hand corner with his left foot.
Kluivert took his chance superbly for the second goal, picking up a neat pass from Davids on the right hand side of the box and placing it perfectly just inside the left hand post.
Nantes handed off form Spartak Moscow their first defeat in the European Cup this season, beating the Russians 2-0 in a one sided game in Nantes.
Chad's Japhet N'Doram took advantage of his team's constant domination to head in one of countless goal opportunities in the 28th minute. Nicolas Ouedec, by far the most dangerous striker on the pitch, made it two with another header after 65 minutes.
But the score could have been much harsher on the Russians if the French had not missed easy chances throughout and if playmaker Reynald Pedros had not been sent off after 75 minutes.
The moody Pedros, who was suspended for three games by UEFA last season, kicked Spartak defender Dmitry Ananko and will probably not play another European Cup match this season.
Spartak, who have lost nearly half their squad since their last European Cup outing in mid November, were but a shadow of the team who won all their six Champions League ties in this competition.
Legia Warsaw and Panathinaikos played out a dull goalless draw in Warsaw which leaves the Greek champions favourites to go through to the last four only really came to life to score despite a late rally.
Robert Warzycha, the Polish striker who is Panathinaikos' most potent weapon with 18 league goals so far this season, had a chance to score after nine minutes but his 10 metre shot was confidently saved by Legia's goalkeeper Maciej Szczesny.
