Ten-man Ajax triumph over Royale Union in extra time to secure a spot in the Europa League Round of 16

Ajax secured their position in the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 with a dramatic 3-2 aggregate triumph following Kenneth Taylor’s penalty in extra time, negating a 2-1 defeat on home soil – their first loss to Belgian rivals since December 2009 – which ultimately proved inconsequential.

Though many had dismissed them as underdogs before the match, Les Unionistes came out firing at the Johan Cruyff Arena. Their aggressive approach nearly cost them within five minutes when Steven Berghuis’s well-placed free-kick found Jorrel Hato, whose header missed the target.

However, their tenacity bore fruit around the 15-minute mark when they halved their aggregate disadvantage with a free-kick of their own. Returning from injury, Sofiane Boufal not only earned the set-piece but also delivered it perfectly for Kevin Mac Allister to head home.

Boufal was soon on the scoresheet again, netting a goal just three minutes later, only for it to be chalked off for offside.

Undaunted, Royale Union pressed on, with Ousseynou Niang’s shot being thwarted by the legs of Remko Pasveer.

Boufal later unleashed a powerful shot that Davy Klaassen was forced to parry away, resulting not just in a red card for Ajax’s captain but also a penalty, which Promise David confidently converted, outsmarting Pasveer.

With Ajax now looking bewildered after starting the match in what appeared to be a solid position, Boufal, Franjo Ivanović, and Anan Khalaili all missed chances, offering the hosts several escapes. The situation worsened for Ajax just before half-time when Christian Rasmussen was forced off due to injury.

In response, Francesco Farioli made three substitutions and altered the formation at half-time. This initially had little effect on the narrative, as Kōki Machida’s header was saved and Ivanović’s shot went agonisingly off target within five minutes of the second half.

Eventually, Ajax began to find their footing again, despite Pasveer just managing to tip Machida’s header away before David, who himself saw his header blocked amid rising tension in the Dutch capital.

Late in the fixture, Bertrand Traoré nearly sparked a resurgence for Ajax but was denied by Anthony Moris, who then deflected Mika Godts’ effort into the side netting as the match headed into extra time.

Determined to secure victory for their weary and anxious supporters, Ajax earned a penalty just two minutes into extra time when Christian Burgess handled Traoré’s delivery, allowing Taylor to trick Moris and put his side ahead in the tie.

There were still several nail-biting moments ahead, with Pasveer awkwardly tipping Ivanović’s shot wide to prevent a quick response from the visitors, while further efforts from Mohammed Fuseini and Kevin Rodríguez were kept at bay.

This victory ensured Ajax would face either Eintracht Frankfurt or Olympique Lyonnais in the Round of 16 of the UEL, even as their impressive five-match winning streak across all competitions came to an end.

They also left Saint-Gilloise to reflect on a spirited performance that will be remembered for its bittersweet elimination at such a prestigious venue.