N. Tagliafico has scored a goal for Ajax! Assist by C. Eiting.
TAGLIAFICO MAKES IT THREE! 3-0! It's the second goal for the Ajax man - and what a corker it is. He meets Eiting's short cross out on the left wing and then strikes a looping effort in on the run that sails over the head of Barkas. It's a wonderful finish to cap off a wonderful night for the hosts.
It's hard to say which looped more; Eiting's assist or Tagliafico's finish. Either way, that's three goals on the board; a fine night for Ajax.
88'
N. Tagliafico gets yellow.
Tagliafico picks up a late yellow now for a lazy foul on Gianniotas.
83'
It's been a one-sided game in front of goal, if the scorelines doesn't convince; Ajax have managed 15 shots compared to four from AEK.
Ziyech peels off another attempt that spills wide of the goal. He really has been a lynchpin for this Ajax performance today.
81'
G. Giakoumakis enters the game and replaces E. Ponce.
They'll roll the dice with their final change; Giakoumakis replaces Ponce for the Greek outfit.
80'
Into the final 10 minutes on the clock and time is running out for AEK to deliver some kind of miracle. The visitors are looking as short of ideas as ever right now.
78'
K. Dolberg enters the game and replaces David Neres.
Ajax now make a change as the game gets back underway; Dolberg is on in place of Neres.
77'
D. van de Beek has scored a goal for Ajax!
After a few moments of jitters following that little fracas, Tadic turns on the style to pop up with the perfect delivery. Lovely stuff.
VAN DE BEEK MAKES IT 2-0! Ajax double their lead as the substitute meets a Tadic cross in the six-yard box and lashes it past Barkas. A textbook, terrific finish; the Dutch side are in full control of this game now.
75'
H. Ziyech gets yellow.
Ziyech is also booked for his part in it, by the looks of things.
74'
F. de Jong gets yellow.
P. Mantalos gets yellow.
Mandalos too however is booked for his response.
Mantalos breaks down the middle after wonderfully stepping around De Jong; the latter responds by bodychecking him and the pair square off. It will be a booking for the Ajax man for the foul.
Minute
Description
72'
Alef gets yellow.
Alef crashes into Blind just outside the centre circle and gets booked for his efforts. Free-kick to Ajax.
71'
A pair of passes into the AEK box ricochet around and Barkas stops a shot at close range - but the move is belatedly flagged offside, with Ziyech the offender.
70'
G. Gianniotas enters the game and replaces M. Bakakis.
Bakakis is the latest man to depart, replaced by Gianniotas for AEK.
69'
To put that corner count in perspective, AEK have only won a fifth of the 15 awarded so far. It gives a fairly good insight into how this game has gone down.
67'
Ajax have a second! Wait, no they don't - there's an offside against Van der Beek in the build-up and the latter's shot, deflected into the back of the net off the right post, is ruled out.
64'
Guess who has another corner? Ajax win this one off Cosic who deflects an attempted cross out on the left flank. Schone turns it in this time rather than Ziyech and Alef is the man who clears.
62'
D. van de Beek enters the game and replaces K. Huntelaar.
Ajax also make a swap, taking off Huntelaar to introduce Van de Beek.
61'
Alef enters the game and replaces K. Galanopoulos.
AEK make the first change of the game, with Galanopoulos replaced by Alef.
59'
Now Eiting seeks to beat Barkas from distance, only to hook his shot somewhere off into the stand behind.
58'
Save by Barkas! The AEK keeper manages to keep his side in it at a goal down as he pulls off a brilliant close-range stop to deny Tagliafico's header from the corner.
57'
It's Ziyech again, causing the AEK defence all kinds of trouble, as he slips a throughball into their ranks that Oikonomou nearly puts into his net. Once more, the corner goes to Ajax.
56'
Ziyech plays short and looks to curl his own effort in but pushes it wide too. AEK are really under the cosh in this half.
55'
Lampropoulos blocks the corner with his head - and nearly puts it into his own goal, just brushing the outside of net on the right. Second corner incoming.
54'
That goal has given an extra kick to Ajax's already hefty attack and Ziyech wins another corner after forcing Simoes to put the ball out of play.
52'
Ziyech slips a throughball down the centre flank seeking Neres, only for the latter to outstrip the last man and be duly flagged for offside.
50'
Down the other end, Mantalos wins a free-kick following a foul from Schone and he tips the set-piece into the box with precision; alas, he can only find Blind who clears for Ajax.
48'
It's almost two in as many minutes for the hosts with Tadic chasing after a long ball that just beats him to the keeper. The home fans have found their voice after a few quiet passages in the first half.
46'
N. Tagliafico has scored a goal for Ajax! Assist by David Neres.
Ziyech delivered the corner out deep to Neres who served up a lovely ball for Tagliafico to hammer home. AEK had little chance at stopping that without conceding a penalty.
IT'S TAGLIAFICO FOR AJAX! 1-0! Pressure straight from the kick-off earns the hosts a corner and from the set-piece, Neres tips in a lofted ball to the edge of the six-yard area that the right-back races onto and volleys into the bottom-left corner past Barkas. The perfect start for the Dutch outfit!
We're back underway in Amsterdam; who will break the deadlock first?
45' +1
HALF-TIME: AJAX 0-0 AEK ATHENS
45'
A booming pass deep from the AEK wing finds Ponce and he earns a corner following a deflected shot. The set-piece swings in, Onana leaps to claim and the referee blows for half-time.
43'
Given their sheer amount of open play crosses - 13 to 1 against AEK - it's no wonder that Ajax look likely to threaten whenever they get close. But they haven't turned that forward attack into a goal yet, which will surely frustrate them.
41'
Tadic loops a long ball across the mouth of the AEK goal, looking for Schone; instead, it bounces kindly for Bakakis who clears with a left-leg lunge.
39'
Is that a penalty to Ajax? The referee waves play on following a block by Cosic in his own box, seeing off a Tadic square ball - and replays show the AEK man looked to get a hand on the ball.
35'
Ajax get another corner following a deflected strike from Ziyech. The set-piece is less than stellar but there's little doubt that the Morocco international is making life tough for the visitors today.
33'
Ziyech curls in a low strike from outside the box that skips across the turf towards the bottom-right corner. Barkas makes the diving save with little trouble.
31'
AEK pick up a free-kick on the right wing just inside the hosts' half following a shove on Bakakis by Tadic but the visitors can't turn the pressure that follows into a clear goal-scoring chance.
29'
The set-piece is tame and Ajax clear back into the opposition half with efficiency.
28'
What a chance for Ponce! A counter from AEK puts the forward in a wonderful position on the right of the Ajax box, unmarked and primed to shoot - but he pauses too long, allowing De Jong to fly in with a wonderful block. Corner to the visitors.
26'
Another Ajax move down the left wing, another corner for Ziyech to deliver. Though the hosts play short this time before delivering the ball into the box, Barkas ends up with it safely in his hands.
23'
Now Ajax win another free-kick, this time out on the right wing. Ziyech lofts it into the box - and the hosts are flagged for offside, with two or three players all ahead of the defence.
22'
Ziyech tries his luck from distance, 30 yards out, and isn't too far away from the mark, pushing his effort wide near the top-left corner.
20'
Hult concedes a corner following a dangerous cross tipped in by Ziyech and the latter swings the set-piece in once more. AEK hold firm with a flurry of headers though and manage to smuggle the ball away.
18'
Cosic concedes a free-kick for a hefty tackle on Neres just inside his own half but Ajax are unable to turn it into a worthwhile attack.
16'
Tagliafico and Tadic create a fast-paced one-two down the left wing before the latter crosses in seeking Eiting; Lampropoulos is happy enough to clear it long for a throw-in.
14'
The visitors are handed a second chance straight away with a free-kick 25 yards out on the left wing following a foul from Neres on Simoes. Mantalos delivers it to the latter in the six-yard box a moment later, but the header goes wide at the left post.
13'
AEK piece together their first serious attack of the game through Mantalos and win a corner on the left off his deflected cross following a break. Ajax clear the pedestrian set-piece with ease though.
11'
The follow-up corner is successfully cleared to halfway by Cosic, before Schone blasts a return cross into the box for Tagliafico, only for the latter to be flagged for offside.
10'
Another Ajax corner, won off a Tagliafico break, is cut back deep to Eiting who loops a cross in, headed out by Mantalos.
8'
Ziyech, who is popping up all over the shop to trouble the visitors in these opening exchanges, almost slips away down the right wing before taking the ball over the touchline under pressure from Hult.
6'
Ziyech floats it in but AEK muster a strong defensive response and win the goal-kick following a miscued pass from Huntelaar.
5'
Ajax win the first corner of the game now too as Tadic sees a square pass tucked in from the left of the penalty area deflected out by Oikonomou.
3'
The first chance of the game comes the way of the hosts as, following a throw-in on the right wing, Ziyech floats a cross into the six-yard box that just beats Tadic's outstretched leg.
1'
We are underway in this Champions League Group E clash between Ajax and AEK Athens!
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the 2018-19 Champions League as Ajax host AEK Athens in Group E at Johan Cruyff Arena. The pair meet competitively for the first time in almost 24 years – but will either walk away with a win to start their European campaigns off on the right foot?
Athens feature in Europe’s top club competition for the first time since the 2006-07 campaign and will be keen to make it one to remember – but in a group that includes Bayern Munich and Benfica alongside their opponents today, they may have their work cut out.
As for Ajax, they will be hopeful that their first meeting with the Greek outfit since 1994 makes for a good omen; the last time they lifted the Champions League was that very season, triumphing in the 1995 final against AC Milan.
Subs: Kasper Dolberg, Maximilian Wober, Dani de Wit, Zakaria Labyad, Rasmus Kristensen, Kostas Lamprou, Donny van de Beek.
AJAX (4-3-3): Andre Onana; Nicolas Tagliafico, Daley Blind, Noussair Mazraoui, Frenkie de Jong; Carel Eiting, Hakim Ziyech, Lasse Schone; David Neres, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Dusan Tadic.
The teams have emerged in Amsterdam and we're moments away from kick-off.
No goals at the break in Amsterdam but plenty of intent from the hosts has made this an engrossing contest. AEK look short of ideas but still can threaten on occasion; Ajax will need to convert their chances if they don't wish to slip up at this first hurdle. At half-time, it's Ajax 0-0 AEK Athens.
Hakim Ziyech is the key man behind Ajax's continued assault on the AEK defence; will he be the key to breaking the deadlock in this second half?
Three fine finishes for three great goals hands Ajax the win in Amsterdam as they down AEK Athens with a stellar second-half showing. The Greek outfit never really had an answer to their hosts and their aggressive play off the front foot - and it showed as they sagged to a lethargic loss on their return to the Champions League. At full-time, it finishes Ajax 3-0 AEK Athens.
It's a fortnight off from European games now for both as they return to their domestic concerns. For AEK, that means a clash with PAOK on September 23; for Ajax, they have the pleasure of a trip to PSV on the same day. Until then however, thank you for joining us - and have a good week!
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