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| Manchester United’s South Korean midfielder Park Ji-Sung (right) vies with Ajax Amsterdam’s Armenian defender Aras Özbiliz during the UEFA Europa League round of 32 second leg football match at Old Trafford in Manchester, England on Thursday |
Not even a sixth minute opener from Javier Hernandez could inspire United as Aras Ozbiliz levelled eight minutes before the break and Toby Aldeweireld’s late header set up a nerve-wracking finale.
United manager Alex Ferguson took the blame for fielding too many young defenders after his side slunk through 3-2 on aggregate in only the second meeting of two of Europe’s most successful clubs.
They will face Atheltic Bilbao in the last 16 after the side led by eccentric former Argentina and Chile coach Marcelo Bielsa beat Lokomotiv Moscow 1-0, despite being reduced to 10-man, to qualify on away goals.
Atletico Madrid beat Lazio 1-0 to complete a 4-1 aggregate win and Valencia, Spain’s other representatives, beat Stoke City 1-0 to complete a 2-0 aggregate win.
Steaua Bucharest’s dream of reaching the final in their home city ended at Twente Enschede who were joined in the last sixteen by fellow Dutch side PSV Eindhoven.
“I’m disappointed, I’m responsible for picking the team and there were too many young players in the back four, that was a big problem in terms of experience,” said Ferguson in a television interview. “It was a big risk I took.”
“Ajax are a fantastic football team in terms of keeping the ball, they never looked like scoring (at first) but they got the goal and it gave them that encouragement.”
Although Ajax have not won a European trophy since 1995, they still have a more impressive tally than United with four European Cup titles, one Cup Winners’ Cup and one UEFA Cup.
Missing Wayne Rooney due to a throat infection, United appeared to be cruising when Hernandez put them ahead after six minutes, cutting inside his marker to score with a clinical finish after being set up by Dimitr Berbatov.
Ajax’s possession was pleasing to witness but ineffective until the 37th minute when Aras Ozbiliz thumped home a first-time shot from 20 metres despite a suspected handball by Nicolas Lodeiro in the build up.
Ajax, the first Dutch team to win at Old Trafford, took control of the game and sounded a warning just before the hour when Siem de Jong’s header was brilliantly turned over the bar by David De Gea.
Although United eased Ajax’s grip, defender Aldeweireld stole ahead of hesitant defenders to head home from an inswinging free kick in the 87th minute.
It was hard to fathom how Ajax, whose fans outsang the home crowd throughout the match, had been knocked out in the group stages of the Champions League.
Results
At Bilbao, Spain: Athletic Bilbao (ESP) 1 Lokomotiv Moscow (RUS) 0
2-2 on aggregate; Athletic win on away goals
At Valencia, Spain: Valencia (ESP) 1 Stoke City (ENG) 0
Valencia win 2-0 on aggregate
At Enschede, the Netherlands
FC Twente (NED) 1 Steaua Bucharest (ROM) 0
FC Twente win 2-0 on aggregate
At Liege, Belgium: Standard Liege (BEL) 0 Wisla Krakow (POL) 0
1-1 on aggregate; Standard Liege win on away goals
At Eindhoven, the Netherlands
PSV Eindhoven (NED) 4 Trabzonspor (TUR) 1 PSV Eindhoven win 6-2 on aggregate
At Bruges, Belgium : Club Brugge (BEL) 0 Hanover (GER) 1
Hanover win 3-1 on aggregate
At Salonika, Greece: PAOK (GRE) 0 Udinese (ITA) 3
Udinese win 3-0 on aggregate
At Manchester, England: Manchester United (ENG) 1 Ajax (NED) 2
Manchester United win 3-2 on aggregate
At Lisbon: Sporting Lisbon (POR) 1 Legia Warsaw (POL) 0
Sporting Lisbon win 3-2 on aggregate
At Brussels: Anderlecht (BEL) 0 AZ Alkmaar (NED) 1 AZ Alkmaar win 2-0 on aggregate At Madrid: Atletico Madrid (ESP) 1 Lazio (ITA) 0 Atletico Madrid win 4-1