Ajax scramble away a couple of clearances from deep within their own penalty area, as Dnipro try and make their home advantage count in the dying minutes!
90'
There are four minutes of stoppage time!
89'
Y. Shakhov gets yellow.
88'
R. Zozulia gets yellow.
86'
STAT ATTACK: Dnipro have hosted Dutch opposition on three occasions in their history, posting victories against PSV in 1985 and 2012, while losing at the hands of AZ Alkmaar in 2005. They have a record of four wins, one draw and one defeat all time against Eredivisie opponents.
84'
TOP NETTING! Rotan delivers another exceptional ball in from a corner and Douglas is there to meet it, but his header is just fractions over the bar! That was very close to a second...
82'
Y. Shakhov enters the game and replaces Y. Konoplanka.
Dnipro make their final change as Konoplyanka, who has been the liveliest member of attack for the hosts, is replaced by youngster Yevhen Shakhov in the hopes of providing some fresh legs to help see this one out.
80'
THAT HAD TO BE THE EQUALIZER! Kishna gets on the end of a ball forward and finds himself in acres of space in the right channel. He breaks into the area and has a clean look at goal, but waits a fraction too long as Douglas recovers brilliantly to block it behind for a corner!
78'
Frank de Boer makes his final change in the hopes of getting an away goal to take with them to the Amsterdam ArenA. Richario Zivkovic comes on to replace Arek Milik, who did not get a whole lot of service on the night.
77'
R. Živković enters the game and replaces A. Milik.
DOUGLAS AGAIN! Sinkgraven and El Ghazi link up brilliantly again, with the substitute providing a marvellous ball forward. The winger sends another good cross in, but Douglas arrives just in time to put it behind yet again!
Minute
Description
76'
N. Kalinić enters the game and replaces Y. Selezniov.
75'
Dnipro are set to make their second change now with Seleznyov, who put in a very good shift up top, the one set to give way. Nikola Kalinic is set to replace him - the Croatian striker has an impressive goal scoring resume to his name and would certainly love to give his side a two-goal lead to take with them to Amsterdam.
73'
Pressure is mounting now as Ajax push hard for an all-important away goal. Boilesen sends a good cross in from the left and El Ghazi meets it to head back across goal. It falls for Kishna, but the substitute was adjudged to have brought it down with his arm as the chance fizzles out.
71'
VITAL INTERCEPTION! That was nearly the equalizer! Sinkgraven shows great skill to flick the ball through for El Ghazi on the right. The winger sends such an inviting cross into the centre for Milik, but Douglas manages to recover, only just, and head the ball over for a corner!
69'
Clever build-up play! Bazoer skips past defenders in midfield with a good combination of skill and strength. He slides Kishna in on the left, who takes it well with his first touch, but Fedetskyi slides in at the vital moment to knock the ball behind for a corner.
67'
STAT ATTACK: Ajax have been held scoreless just once in their last 16 away matches in all competitions (W9, D4, L3). They have averaged just under 2.5 goals per game over that span, scoring three or more goals on six occasions.
65'
BRILLIANT SAVE! Rotan delivers and Zozulya gets a head to it, Cillessen dives across to make a truly remarkable reactionary save before smothering the rebound as well! The winger cannot believe his luck, and was sure he had a second goal there.
64'
Dnipro now enjoy their own spell in possession and a lengthy one at that. They have not kept the ball in the final third for prolonged periods so far in this match, but do so here and it results in Konoplyanka winning a free kick.
62'
The second half has been dictated mostly by the visitors, but they have yet to carve out a clear-cut scoring chance. Dnipro are inviting pressure, while keeping their shape well. Ajax have not found that killer instinct going forward and it had made life a bit too simple on the hosts in defence.
61'
R. Kishna enters the game and replaces L. Schöne.
60'
D. Sinkgraven enters the game and replaces T. Serero.
It's a double change now for Ajax who introduce Daley Sinkgraven and Ricardo Kishna, with Thulani Serero and Lasse Schone the ones to give way. Two of the visitors more senior members of the suqd are withdrawn in favour of two teenagers, both of whom provide plenty of pace and creativity in attack.
58'
Bruno Gama enters the game and replaces R. Bezus.
Dnipro make their first change of the match, bringing Portuguese midfielder Bruno Gama on in place of Roman Bezus, who never really did make himself a prominant figure in attack.
57'
Another good spell in possession for Ajax, but it is a bit static from them at the moment. They are not making enough runs off the ball which has made it difficuly for them to penetrate this Dnipro back line.
55'
STAT ATTACK: Ajax are the only reigning domestic champion left in the Europa League round of 16. There were seven in the previous round, six of which were eliminated (Aalborg, Anderlecht, Celtic, Legia, Olympiakos and Salzburg).
53'
SUPERB HIT! Seleznyov has shown his shooting ability for a second time in this match, getting on the end of a clever back-heel pass from Bezus before driving the ball towards goal. Cillessen gets down quickly, however, to make the save.
51'
R. Rotan gets yellow.
Back-to-back bookings now, one for each side. Bazoer takes down Konoplyanka to prevent a quick break and is issued a yellow card. Rotan then finds his name in the book with play stopped, for reasons not yet clear. That is a big one for Dnipro, as the captain will now be forced to miss the return leg due to suspension.
50'
R. Bazoer gets yellow.
The wall does their job! Schone is a real threat from these set pieces, scoring a suerb free kick against PSG in the Champions League earlier this season. He cannot make it count this time, however, as he hits it off the wall and Dnipro clear the danger.
48'
A. Fedetskyi gets yellow.
The visitors start the second half confidently as they enjoy a prominant spell of possession in the final third. Klaassen plays a ball over the top for Serero, who is halted in his tracks by Fedetskyi. The left-back picks up a yellow card, which will leave his suspended for the return leg, but more importantly is this ensuing free kick for the visitors on the edge of the area.
46'
Ajax get the second half underway! No changes to tell you about at the break.
45' +1
IT'S A SHOCKING MISS! Ajax win a corner in the dying minutes of stoppage time and Schone's cross is flicked on at the near post by Klaassen, into the path of an unmarked Veltman. The goal is gaping in front of the defender, but he gets under the ball and sends it over the bar! He can't believe he's missed and neither can his teammates.
45'
Viergever is penalized for a cheap foul along the left, providing the hosts with a real chance from the ensuing free kick. Rotan curls a wonderful, flat cross into the box but no one can get a touch on it as Cillessen is able to punch clear.
43'
The Croatian referee has a talking to with Ajax coach Frank de Boer, who is quite animated on the touch line. He is not pleased with the decisions going against his side and his persistent shouting has prompted the referee to take action. He'll have to tone it down or could end up watching the second half from the stands.
41'
STAT ATTACK: Each of Dnipro's three home matches in the group stage ended 1-0. Two of them were defeats, against Inter and Qarabag, while they beat Saint-Etienne. Their four total home matches in the Europa League proper saw five goals scored, with the hosts failing to score a first-half goal in the competition before today.
39'
STRONG PUNCH! Ajax win a corner and Schone sends an inviting cross into the area. Boyko comes off his line and claims it, getting good distance on his punch. Dnipro look to break and Boilesen is penalized for a foul. The left-back has to be careful as he has already been booked today.
37'
OFFSIDE! Ajax are posing much more of a threat now in attack as they search for an equalizer. Schone and Klaassen link up well in the final third, with the winger threading a ball through for Milik who gets clean in on goal. The flag goes up very late, however, as play is blown dead for an offside.
35'
Wonderful strike! A harmless looking attack from Dnipro winds up creating a chance. The ball bounces into the path of Seleznyov who chests it down following a long free kick and lashes a thunderous half-volley at goal, but it is straight at Cillessen who is able to punch it away from danger.
34'
Much better! That's the threat El Ghazi poses. He shows excellent skill, dribbling past two defenders on the right before sending a teasing cross into the centre. It is just too high for Milik, but Serero makes a good run to get onto it. The South African is the shortest player on the pitch, though, and Dnipro are able to sniff out the chance.
32'
For all the possession Ajax have had, they are not getting their main guys on the ball enough. Schone and El Ghazi are always dangerous in possession, more than capable of creating, but they have seen far too little of the ball on the flanks. Milik has not had nearly enough service and that will have to change if Ajax are to get a result from this match.
30'
R. Zozulia has scored a goal for Dnipro! Assist by Y. Konoplanka.
DNIPRO OPEN THE SCORING! Konoplyanka makes a superb run along the left, beating Van Rhijn for pace before sending a good low cross in for Zozulya. The winger takes a good first touch and strikes it back across goal. Cillessen gets a hand to it, but it's not enough to keep it out!
29'
SUPERB DEFENSIVE HEADER! Dnipro win yet another corner and Rotan is the one to take it this time around. His delivery in for Douglas is superb, but Veltman refuses to be overpowered by his counterpart, tracking the run and acrobatically heading clear.
27'
The pace of the match has been excellent thus far, with both teams eager to get forward and create chances. Dnipro are so dangerous on the break, punishing every little mistake made by Ajax. They are always looking to shoot when they get the chance, but have yet to test Cillessen in goal.
25'
Ajax enjoy a good spell of possession, but cannot pick out a good final ball. Anwar El Ghazi has been roaming around freely in attack to try and get more service, but Dnipro have done a good job keeping him in check, defending by committee.
23'
N. Boilesen gets yellow.
Nicolai Boilesen makes a good run into attack via the left flank and beats Zozuyla. He cuts inside but Artem Fedetskyi defends the run well, shielding the ball and forcing the left-back into a foul. The Dane is then shown a yellow card, the first of the match for either team.
21'
Valeriy Fedorchuk commits a cynical foul on Serero in midfield and Ricardo van Rhijn stands over the ensuing free kick. The ball is placed a long way out, close to 40 yards from goal, but the right-back scored from a similar position against Feyenoord earlier in the season. He can't get the contact right this time, however, as his shot is always rising, never troubling Boyko.
19'
BLASTED OVER! A quick counter from Dnipro sees the ball come to Konoplyanka just inside the left of the penalty area. The crowd buzzes in anticipation as he lines up a volley, but he can't make good contact as he lashes it over the bar.
17'
STAT ATTACK: Ajax's 3-0 victory at Legia Warsaw in the round of 32 was their first away win in Europe in eight matches (D2, L6). Their last success before that was in February of 2012 at Old Trafford, though they lost that cup tie on aggregate.
15'
IMPORTANT CLEARANCE! Another Dnipro corner, but this time it nearly results in a goal for the hosts! Ajax are far too relaxed with their defending and it bounces through to the far post, but Ricardo van Rhijn intervenes at the vital moment to clear it from danger.
14'
Veltman, looking to atone for his error, makes a Jaap Stam-esque run forward into attack after reading the play well to make an interception. He gets into space along the flank but cannot pick out Milik with his cross. The defender then shows great pace to get back into defence and stay with Konoplyanka stride for stride and puts in a strong standing tackle to prevent the dangerous winger from breaking into the area.
12'
NEARLY A GIFT OF AN OPENER! Veltman sends a difficult back-pass to Jasper Cillessen and the keeper can not control the bouncing ball under pressure. It falls for Seleznyov but he cannot capitalize on the mistake, sending his shot wide of the far post!
10'
Riechedly Bazoer makes a strong run through the centre, beating Ruslan Rotan and getting into a bit of space on the right flank. The Dnipro midfielder recovers to put pressure on the Ajax youngster, and his eventual off-balance cross is cleared by Yehven Cheberyachko.
8'
Dnipro win successive corners, but the deliveries from Yevhen Konoplyanka are defended very well by the young Ajax defence. Veltman rises well to block the first, before Nick Viergever clears the second. Still, it is an encouraging period of pressure from the hosts.
6'
Yevhen Seleznyov slides in with a hard, late challenge on Joel Veltman and the defender has come out worse for wear. Ajax petition the referee to show a card, but the striker escapes with only a warning from the referee.
5'
WHAT A CHANCE THAT WAS! A lovely ball is played over the top by Davy Klaassen, picking out the run of Thulani Serero. The midfielder was kept onside by Egidio and is clean through on goal, but seemed to hesitate thinking he was offside, allowing Boyko to rush off his line and make a smart save on the South African's chipped effort.
3'
The two teams have very contrasting styles and they are already holding true in the early stages of the match. Ajax are keen on keeping possession while trying to control the tempo, and they have seen much of the ball already. Dnipro are content sitting back and letting their opposition pass it around, waiting for them to make a mistake and punish it on the counter where they are so dangerous.
1'
The hosts get us underway in Kyiv - but keep in mind this is not their usual home stadium. Dnipro are in all blue, attacking left to right, with Ajax in their famous red and white. Here we go!
Hello and welcome to Ukraine, where the Europa League round of 16 kicks-off tonight. The Olimpiyskiy Stadium in Kyiv is our venue this evening as Dnipro look to continue shredding their label as underdogs when they face a suddenly resurgent Ajax side. I am Alex Moretto and I will be your in-game host, guiding you through the match LIVE as it happens!
Dnipro have been more than impressive in their Europa League campaign this season, and coach Myron Markevych will be hoping the best is yet to come. The Ukrainian side finished second in a group containing Inter, Saint-Etienne and Qarabag, who defeated Eredivisie side Twente in qualifying. They then went on to dispose of Greek champions Olympiakos in the round of 32 and will be hoping to carry that momentum into their clash with de Godenzonen.
Ajax stumbled out of the winter break, falling well behind PSV in their chase for a fifth consecutive Eredivisie title. They sit 11 points back at the top of the table and have since shifted their sights on the Europa League, their last remaining shot at winning a trophy this season. Frank de Boer’s side have not taken the competition all-too seriously in recent years, but they have taken a refreshed approach this season and it showed in their convincing 4-0 aggregate victory over Legia Warsaw in the round of 32.
AJAX (4-3-3): Cillessen; Van Rhijn, Veltman, Viergever, Boilesen; Bazoer, Klaassen, Serero; El Ghazi, Schone, Milik.
DNIPRO SUBS: Kalinic, Lastuvka, Bruno Gama, Luchkevych, Shakhov, Svatok, Bliznichenko.
AJAX SUBS: Moisander, Van der Hoorn, Sinkgraven, Kishna, Andersen, Zivkovic, Boer.
Arkaduisz Milik, Ajax's leading scorer in the competition, is a welcome return from a hamstring injury. He slots back in at striker in the starting XI, pushing Lasse Schone to the left and Ricardo Kishna to the bench despite the winger's good form of late. That is the only change made by Frank de Boer to his team, though centre-half Niklas Moisander is available after a lengthy stint on the sidelines and has been included among the substitutes.
Midfielder Jaba Kankava, who has appeared in six of Dnipro's Europa League matches this season (starting five), misses out due to suspension. Ruslan Rotan slides back to take his place, with Roman Bezus getting the start as a number 10. Egidio, Yevhen Konoplyanka and Matheus Nascimento were all questionable with injuries, but only the latter is forced to miss out, and is replaced by Yevhen Seleznyov at striker, with Roman Zozulya moving into the Brazilian's place on the wing.
The players are out on the pitch, shaking hands and taking their positions. There is a wonderful buzz inside the stadium as we are now just moments away from the start of the match!
HALF TIME: DNIPRO 1-0 AJAX. The hosts come out on top after an exciting first half in Kyiv, with Roman Zozulya's goal proving to be the difference. Both teams had their chances though the opening 45 minutes and everything is still to play for in the second half.
STAT ATTACK: Joel Veltman had the most touches (69), won the most duels (7) and won possession (8) the most in the 1st half of Dnipro - via Opta Sports.
FULL-TIME: DNIPRO 1-0 AJAX. Roman Zozulya's first-half goal proved to be the difference as Myron Markevych's side take a valuable lead with them to Amsterdam for the return leg, though they had to hold on for dear life as the second half progressed. Joel Veltman's miss proves costly as the visitors fail to register an away goal, which could come back to haunt them in the return leg in Amsterdam.
I am Alex Moretto and I would like to thank you all for joining me here today. Good bye!
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