Ajax were indebted to some fine goalkeeping from 22-year-old Diant Ramaj as they escaped Norway with a 2-1 win after extra time. The goalkeeper made six saves, with his final one being to somehow tip a thunderous Patrick Berg free-kick onto the crossbar with time running down. Despite ending the game with just 36% of the ball and a host of chances created by FK Bodø/Glimt, Ajax are through.
It started well for the Eredivisie side with Steven Berghuis finishing well after 34 minutes to make it 3-2 on aggregate. However, when Josip Sutalo was given a red card early in the second half, the Dutch side retreated into a defensive wall. It almost got worse for Ajax when it appeared that Sosa had handled the ball on the line, only for VAR to rule that Ramaj had been fouled in the build up.
The sides were evened up when Albert Grønbæk needlessly got himself sent off after 65 minutes. However, by that point the home side were fully in the ascendency and Ajax were just trying to hold on.
FK Bodø/Glimt got a deserved equaliser with minutes to go in the game when Berg fired home. The Norwegian side finished the game with 24 shots on Ajax’s goal, hitting the woodwork a number of times and having the ball cleared off the line. Ajax then punished the home side for missing so many chances with six minutes to go in extra-time. On a rare foray forward, the ball fell to Kenneth Taylor on the edge of the box. His cross come shot looped in over Kjetil Haug to make it 2-1.
Ajax have now ended a run of four games without a win.
