Ruthless Dortmund hammer Ajax to win group
Reuters - Wednesday 21 November 2012, 21:39
Mario Gotze inspired Borussia Dortmund as they produced
a ruthlessly efficient performance to win 4-1 at Ajax Amsterdam and
qualify for the last 16 of the Champions League as Group D winners on
Wednesday.
The Germans,
driven by Gotze who had a hand in each of his team's goals, looked
capable of scoring every time they broke as they raced to a 3-0 half-time
lead against the ineffective four-times former champions.
Marco
Reus put the visitors ahead after eight minutes, combining with Gotze
in a deadly counter-attack down the right before slipping the ball
between goalkeeper Kenneth Vermeer's legs.
With
Dortmund needing only a point to go through with a game to spare,
Gotze added the second in the 36th minute and Robert Lewandowski scored
from a rebound five minutes later after Gotze's initial shot was
blocked.
Although Ajax had
plenty of possession, Lewandowski added his second in the 67th minute
with a tight angled shot after Gotze had found him unmarked.
Daniel
Hoesen scored a consolation goal for the hosts with four minutes
remaining but by then the damage had been done as Dortmund joined group
runners-up Real Madrid in the knockout stage.
Dortmund
coach Jurgen Klopp acknowledged Gotze's important part in proceedings
but reckoned the 20-year-old could have done even better.
"Mario played exceptionally but also like we know he can play," Klopp told a news conference.
"But he could have done better in finishing."
Ajax,
who might therefore be glad not to have suffered even more, never
really troubled the Dortmund defence despite the possession they were
allowed.
"We got a lesson in
efficiency from Dortmund but I am also very angry about the way we
defended," Ajax coach Frank de Boer told reporters.