Ajax advance despite 2-2 Shelbourne draw drawing fierce criticism
The Amsterdam side reached the Conference League play-offs, but Dutch newspapers condemned their unconvincing performance in Dublin.
Ajax secured a place in the Conference League play-offs despite being held to a 2-2 draw away to Shelbourne FC on Thursday evening. Míchel Sánchez’s side progressed thanks to their victory in Amsterdam a week earlier, but the nature of the performance in Ireland prompted severe criticism from the Dutch press.
According to FCUpdate’s newspaper review, Algemeen Dagblad described Ajax’s display as dramatic and highlighted how they struggled against the fifth-placed side in Ireland. The paper was particularly critical of Ajax finishing the game with five defenders and still failing to protect a 2-1 lead.
De Telegraaf likewise labelled the result an embarrassment and argued that Ajax lost control after Shelbourne’s first equaliser. Goalkeeper Maarten Paes was credited with preventing greater trouble before Anton Gaaei restored the visitors’ advantage shortly before half-time. Ajax again came under pressure after the interval and conceded another equaliser late on, with the newspaper suggesting that a win would have flattered Sánchez’s team.
Elsewhere, Het Parool characterised the match as a meagre Ajax performance. De Volkskrant focused on an attack missing Mika Godts and Steven Berghuis, saying Marcos Leonardo and Maher Carrizo disappointed alongside Oliver Edvardsen. Although qualification was achieved, the broad verdict was that Ajax made unnecessarily hard work of overcoming Shelbourne over the two legs.
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