LIAM MACKEY: Just like ‘69, men against boys

Ajax, creators of their own legend, were largely authors of their own downfall in Stockholm last night, writes Liam Mackey.

From the moment in the 17th minute when a giveaway throw-in ended up with Paul Pogba opening the scoring via a deflected shot, the impossibly youthful boys from Amsterdam were clearly struggling to cope with both the big occasion and the streetwise savvy of Manchester United. By the end, it was a bit like watching an academy side going up against the first team.

Opting for a direct, no-frills, intensely physical approach, United out-muscled and, ultimately, outplayed their opponents. It was hardly ‘the United way’ but then, for all those who care to remember, this wasn’t ‘the Ajax way’ either.