Benfica were already winning 3-0 midway through the first half and managed the game without difficulty.
Benfica’s under-19 team thrashed Ajax and secured qualification for the Round of 32 of the UEFA Youth League.
In a game where they were without Gonçalo Moreira, the competition’s top scorer who was left out due to the quota limit for players born in 2006, Vítor Vinha’s team were far superior to the Dutch side and settled the game in the first half.
With a strong midfield in possession and a very mobile and functional attack, Benfica opened the scoring after 10 minutes, but when João Afonso headed home for 1-0, assisted by the young Italian international Federico Coletta, there were already at least two good chances for the Eagles.
Trailing on the scoreboard, the Dutch tried to control possession, but they rarely managed to turn it into real danger and accumulated defensive errors that were exploited by Benfica.
Francisco Silva, one of Benfica’s best players, made it 2-0 in the 20th minute after an excellent pass from Tiago Freitas, and Eduardo Fernandes (Dudu) extended the lead to 3-0 shortly after with another assist from Coletta following a quick transition.
Comfortable in the game , Benfica switched to a management mode from then on, allowing Ajax to appear more often near the penalty area, a trend that intensified at the start of the second half, but always without jeopardizing Benfica’s victory.
Diogo Ferreira showed maturity and kept a clean sheet when necessary, at a time when the Dutch team was more incisive, in contrast to the offensive production of Benfica, which slowed down until Vítor Vinha’s first substitutions shortly after the hour mark.
In the 73rd minute, substitute Gustavo Ferreira made it 4-0 with a perfect lob over the goalkeeper after a spontaneous long throw-in from Gonçalo Oliveira, which caught the Ajax defenders off guard.
In a match between two clubs renowned for developing talent , Benfica prevailed without difficulty and could even have achieved an even more emphatic victory, despite Ajax’s improvement, whether deserved or not, as the game progressed.
After five games played, the Eagles now have 12 points (23 goals scored and seven conceded) and have qualified for the next phase, although they still have to host Napoli on December 10th.