Langil late show keeps Auxerre in contention

A late winner from substitute Steeven Langil earned Auxerre a 2-1 win at home to Ajax in Champions League Group G on Wednesday, to keep their hopes of reaching the knockout phase alive.

Langil’s 84th-minute strike brought Jean Fernandez’s team their first win in this season’s tournament and took them to within a point of third-placed Ajax in the group, two points behind second-placed AC Milan with two games to play.

Midfielder Urby Emmanuelson fired an early warning shot for Ajax with a first-time effort that whistled narrowly wide, but in the ninth minute the hosts went ahead.

A high ball broke for support striker Frederic Sammaritano on the edge of the penalty box and his half-volley took a wicked deflection that sent it fizzing inside the right-hand post.

Demy de Zeeuw came close to an instant response with a superbly executed volley that was narrowly off-target.

The visitors had to wait until six minutes before half-time for their next sight of goal though, with Luis Suarez turning Dariusz Dudka inside-out before driving a shot across goal and wide from a tight angle.

Walter Birsa tested Ajax goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg with a header just before half-time, but the visitors stepped up their efforts in the second period and Suarez struck the bar with a header of his own on the hour.

The Uruguayan then poked wide after wriggling his way into the box, before Stephane Grichting produced two superb interventions — sliding in to block Siem de Jong’s shot and then heading a goalbound effort off the line.

Auxerre’s luck failed to hold, however, and in Ajax’s very next attack the Dutch side levelled, with defender Tony Alderweireld heading in from Suarez’s left-wing cross in the 79th minute.

Stekelenburg denied Langil as Auxerre pushed for a winner, but the substitute made no mistake from an identical position moments later, tucking the ball beneath the goalkeeper from Kamel Chafni’s smart free-kick.