Ajax were just millimetres away from making the perfect start to their seventh consecutive appearance in the knockout stages of a UEFA competition.
Oliver Valaker Edvardsen thought he had turned the ball over the line following a dangerous corner, only for goalline technology to confirm that Noah Sadiki made his last-ditch clearance in the nick of time.
After making an important intervention in the defensive third, Sadiki thought he had made a positive impact at the opposite end of the pitch, tucking the ball home after Promise David had seen his initial effort saved. However, the assistant’s flag offered Ajax a precious reprieve, with VAR confirming that David had strayed just offside.
The 23-year-old ultimately failed to learn from that moment, as he drifted offside again before laying the ball off for Anan Khalaily, who saw his driven effort chalked off on the stroke of half-time.
The Belgian side were made to rue those disallowed strikes when Ajax’s Christian Rasmussen found the breakthrough just moments before the hour mark, driving a left-foot strike in off the post to net his first UEL goal following an incisive counter-attack.
USG’s hopes of reaching the last 16 were dealt a further blow when 16-year-old Jorthy Mokio produced a stunning effort to double Ajax’s advantage in the 71st minute. Steven Berghuis’ inswinging corner was only cleared to the edge of the box where the youngster was waiting to thump a difficult volley past the helpless Anthony Moris.
The Belgian’s first senior goal sealed USG’s first European home defeat of the season, leaving Sébastien Pocognoli’s charges with a mountain to climb in next week’s return leg in Amsterdam, highlighted by the fact Ajax have lost just once in their last 15 competitive home games.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Jorthy Mokio (Ajax)