This was definitely one of the most stressful games I have seen in a long long time. There has been over 15 penalty shots, and it ended with 13-12 result as well, that is just insane when you think about it, when was the last time you have seen 15+ penalties? I mean most often it ends within the first five usually but even if not, that goes to like maybe 7 or 8 at most and nothing more. Whereas we are looking at the current situation and can say that this was the highest I watched live as far as I can remember.
Ajax finally got it though, they really needed this win because it looks like they are still struggling to build that squad back up, they sold bunch of great players but then never rebuild it properly and this season might help them if they do fine here.
34 penalties? That is a marathon, not a game! Both sides shown amazing mental toughness, and Ajax finally win. However, since they lost some important players, Ajax has changed. You cannot simply sell your stars and hope to keep winning. They must quickly acquire some really substantial talent in there.
Still, this victory might mark a change. Its a reminder that they still have the heart of a champion, so boosting confidence. They cannot, however, become lazy. Though in soccer anything can happen, Jagiellonia would appear like an easy win. Ajax must make every game a chance for rehabilitation and rediscovery of rhythm. They must tighten their defense and perhaps reconsider their entire approach. They will burn out before the season ever begins if they continue allowing games to go to penalties.
Photo: Ajax’s goalkeeper Remko Pasveer executed a stunning save during the penalty shootout against Panathinaikos, turning the tide of the match in a moment at Ajax's home.
It was definitely exciting and nerve wracking to see such a big penalty shootout. I think at the end both teams were mentally very tough and were fighting till the end with the hope that the opposition might slip. But at the very end, Ajax won
What many people forgot is that Ajax was 1-0 ahead in the aggregate before the start of the 2nd leg and Panathinaikos scored at 89 minutes to level the aggregate at 1-1. The goal was scored by Tete. This is quite impressive which shows the mental fight they possess. They fought till the end and scored the goal at the end. To be honest, I did not think this game would go to extra time, let alone a 13-12 penalty.
Ajax is a club full of legacy but recently it has become a factory of producing promising young talents just to sell them to bigger clubs. I think getting out of this tradition will be very hard since they are not considered one of the big clubs of Europe anymore. It is sad to see such state of a club like Ajax who are full of legacy.
