Ajax beat Sion 5-3 in the UEFA Conference League playoff round at the Johan Cruyff Arena on Wednesday evening. The Dutch side went through with a commanding display, though their opponents found the net three times to keep things interesting. By then, the result was never in doubt.
Y. Baas opened the scoring after just one minute, catching Sion off guard. Boteli added a second before the quarter-hour mark, and Klaassen made it three before half-time. Arokodare scored twice in the second half, while Edvardsen found the net once. Boteli completed his hat-trick on the hour line to seal the victory.
Sion had their chances. They scored through Arokodare and Edvardsen, and Boteli's late effort added drama. The visitors created three big chances against Ajax's eight, and their goalkeeper had to make nine saves. Things came to a head when Edvardsen's goal was cancelled for offside in the 64th minute.
Ajax dominated possession at 55 per cent and registered 15 shots on target compared to Sion's four. The hosts carried 90 attacks while the visitors managed 69. Expected goals told the fuller story — Ajax finished on 4.64 with Sion at 0.85. Many shots with five goals meant chances went begging for the visitors.
The result ends Sion's winning streak from their previous meeting with Ajax, which they had won 4-2. The Dutch club now moves closer to securing their place in the group stage. To be fair, Sion showed character in staying competitive until the final whistle.
