There was no new ground to be 'hopped' on Tuesday so next up was a Wednesday night visit to Ajax's Amsterdam Arena.
Just to prove the Euro Tour was not all about beer and football, a free day allowed me to have a proper walk around Amsterdam and visit places like the Anne Frank House and the Van Gogh museum!!This had been a ground I'd wanted to see a game at for quite a while, but the availability of tickets (usually none) and the price of the package Ajax charge foreigners (expensive) usually put me off.
Tonight however it was time to bite the bullet and go for it! The package was pricey but it included a €50 match ticket, an Ajax gift (scarf) and a €10 arena card to buy food and drink.
The Amsterdam Arena is a very impressive ground. It was opened in 1996 and has a capacity of just over 53,000. It also has a retractable roof, which put me in mind of the Millennium stadium in Cardiff.
Ajax's opponents tonight were Croatian champions Dinamo Zagreb, who Ajax beat 2-0 at their ground a fortnight earlier. It turned out to be another comfortable evening for the Amsterdammers. Gregory van der Wiel fired home after 20 minutes, after being played in by a back-heeled pass, before Miralem Sulejmani doubled the advantage 5 minutes later when he was played through to wrong-foot the 'keeper and slot home.
Ajax had a host of chances to extend their lead but it wasn't until the second half they went further in front. Siem de Jong finished off another excellent move on 65 minutes before the rout was completed in stoppage time when Nicolás Lodeiro added the fourth.
Wednesday 2nd November 2011
UEFA Champions League Group Stage
Ajax 4-0 Dinamo Zagreb
Attendance: 48,000
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