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The clash between Ajax and Chelsea was one of the most anticipated games of group H, as it involved two of the favourites to qualify from the group stages to the knockout phases of the competition. Both sides began the game with a high intensity and tried to impose themselves on the game. It was Ajax who bossed the game for the first 45 minutes, both in terms of possession and chance creation.
In the second half, however, Chelsea looked the better of the two sides and dominated proceedings. In a game of fine margins, it was Frank Lampard's men who came away with three points at the end of it, courtesy of an 88th-minute winner from substitute Michy Batshuayi. Ajax, who successfully resisted the Chelsea front three for the majority of the game, would have felt hard done by after conceding at such a late stage in the game.
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While some players shone, others failed to assert their influence during the game. Here are the 5 hits and flops from the match.
#5 Hit: Michy Batshuayi
Michy Batshuayi was an unlikely hero in Chelsea's victory over Ajax. The Belgian, who hasn't enjoyed the best of times in a Chelsea shirt since his arrival back in 2016, scored the only goal of the match and helped his side come away with all three points. The 26-year-old replaced Tammy Abraham in the 71st minute and injected great pace and energy up front for Chelsea.
Batshuayi managed 4 shots in his 20 minutes cameo on the pitch, 3 of which were on target. The striker was presented with a great opportunity to score which he squandered early on. However, he redeemed himself with a goal in the 88th minute, which turned out to be the match-winner in the end.
#4 Flop: Hakim Ziyech
Hakim Ziyech, who has been Ajax's talisman this season, didn't look at his best against Chelsea. The 26-year-old winger, who scored 2 goals and set up another 3 in this year's Champions League, failed to influence the game in a way he would have liked to.
The Morrocan failed to register a single shot on target during his time on the pitch against Chelsea. Moreover, the winger appeared to be selfish at times and tried to go for goal with his team-mates in a better positions to score. There were times when he did show his great range of passing, but other apart from the odd piece of skill, he had a poor game.
#3 Hit: Fikayo Tomori
Fikayo Tomori produced one of his best performances in a Chelsea shirt against Ajax. The 21-year-old centre-back produced a valiant defensive performance at the Johan Cruyff Arena and came away with a clean sheet against a side who are known to be a free-scoring side.
Tomori did an exceptional job of keeping Hakim Ziyech out of the game and guarded well against opposition counter-attacks. The Englishman looked like a threat during Chelsea set-pieces and his physicality was an asset in both boxes.
#2 Flop: Tammy Abraham
Tammy Abraham, who has been Chelsea's best player so far this season, didn't enjoy the best of nights at the Johan Cruyff Arena. The 22-year-old, who has scored 8 goals so far this season, was uncharacteristically poor against Ajax.
The striker failed to impose himself physically on the game, losing 9 out of 15 duels. Moreover, the Englishman failed to register a shot on the opposition goal during his time on the pitch. His link-up play wasn't sharp enough and he lost the ball on more than a couple of occasions.
#1 Hit: Nicolas Tagliafico
Nicolas Tagliafico was arguably Ajax's best player on the pitch. The 27-year-old left-back not only produced a solid defensive display but also contributed heavily going forward. The Argentine full-back kept Willan on his toes and kept him out for the majority of the match. Tagliafico won 6 tackles during the game, which was more than any other player on the pitch.
Moreover, he was a constant threat going forward and helped to create an overload on Chelsea's right-hand side alongside Quincy Promes and Lisandro Martinez. The left-back completed 100% of his attempted dribbles and also created one goalscoring opportunity.
