Eintracht Frankfurt moved a step closer to the Europa League final with a commanding 4-1 victory over Ajax Amsterdam in the second leg of their round of 16 clash.
The match got off to a strong start for Frankfurt as Jean-Mattéo Bahoya gave them the lead in the 7th minute, assisted by Hugo Ekitiké. Just 18 minutes later, Mario Götze doubled their advantage, scoring with a superb finish after a brilliant long pass from Robin Koch.
Ajax, who made multiple changes to their lineup, struggled throughout the match and were unable to mount any serious challenge against Dino Toppmöller’s well-organized side. Their decision to rotate their squad failed to pay off, and Frankfurt dominated proceedings.
Despite creating several more chances in the first half, Frankfurt were unable to add to their tally before the break. The second half started in a similar fashion, with Ajax failing to threaten Kauã Santos, who had stepped in for the injured Kevin Trapp.
The game seemed all but over in the 67th minute when Ekitiké scored to make it 3-0. However, Ajax showed a brief resurgence when Kenneth Taylor pulled one back for them in the 78th minute, narrowing the deficit to 3-1. The visitors even had another opportunity to make it closer, but their hopes were dashed soon after.
In a moment of misfortune for Ajax, goalkeeper Matheus attempted to clear a long ball from Frankfurt by coming far off his line, but he misjudged the situation. Mario Götze quickly pounced on the error, launching an audacious shot from near midfield that found the back of the net to seal the win at 4-1.
Frankfurt will now face the winner of the AZ Alkmaar-Tottenham match in the quarter-finals, as they continue their push for a place in the final.
