Ajax 5–1 Liverpool (1966)

**Ajax 5–1 Liverpool** was a football match between Ajax and Liverpool. The match happened in the first leg of the 1966–67 European Cup second round. It was played on 7 December 1966 at the Olympic Stadium in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The match was given the Dutch title _De Mistwedstrijd_ (; "The Fog Match") as it was played in dense fog.

In front of a crowd of 55,722 fans, Ajax won the match 5–1. However, the fans could not see much of the match due to the fog's density, and could only tell when a team scored by the team celebrating. After a 2–2 draw in the second leg, Ajax would qualify for the quarter-finals.

After the second round, both teams would not play each other until the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League group stage. Liverpool would win both of those matches 1–0.

## Background

Both teams qualified for the European Cup as the champions of their leagues. Ajax won the 1965–66 Eredivisie, seven points ahead of Feyenoord, while Liverpool won the 1965–66 Football League First Division, six points ahead of Leeds United.

In the first round, Ajax beat Turkish side Beşiktaş 4–1 on aggregate. Meanwhile, Liverpool had drawn 3–3 on aggregate with Romanian side Petrolul Ploiești, and had to beat them 2–0 in a play-off match to advance to the second round.

Liverpool were considered one of the favourites to win the European Cup, while Ajax were considered unknown outside of the Netherlands. Liverpool's manager Bill Shankly had made a scouting trip to watch Ajax before the match, and having watched them lose to worse opposition, returned confident that Liverpool would progress.

## Match details

||||||||||
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|valign="top" width="50%"|{| style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"|colspan="4"|||||||
|GK|**1**|Gert Bals|||||||
|RB|**2**|Wim Suurbier|||||||
|CB|**3**|Tonny Pronk|||||||
|CB|**4**|Frits Soetekouw  (c)|||||||
|LB|**5**|Theo van Duivenbode|||||||
|RH|**6**|Henk Groot|||||||
|LH|**7**|Bennie Muller|||||||
|RW|**8**|Sjaak Swart|||||||
|IR|**9**|Johan Cruyff|||||||
|IL|**10**|Klaas Nuninga|||||||
|LW|**11**|Cees de Wolf|||||||
|colspan=3|**Manager:**||||||||
|colspan=4|Rinus Michels|}|valign="top"||valign="top" width="50%"|{| style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align=center|colspan="4"||
|GK|**1**|Tommy Lawrence|||||||
|RB|**2**|Chris Lawler|||||||
|IL|**3**|Bobby Graham|||||||
|CB|**4**|Tommy Smith|||||||
|CB|**5**|Ron Yeats (c)|||||||
|LB|**6**|Willie Stevenson|||||||
|RW|**7**|Ian Callaghan|||||||
|IR|**8**|Roger Hunt|||||||
|RH|**9**|Ian St. John|||||||
|LH|**10**|Geoff Strong|||||||
|LW|**11**|Peter Thompson|||||||
|colspan=3|**Manager:**||||||||
|colspan=4|Bill Shankly|}|||||||

## Other websites

- De Mistwedstrijd on Andere Tijden
- Europa Cup wedstrijd 07-12-1966 Ajax - Liverpool 5 - 1 at Voetbalstat.nl

## Infobox (football match)

- **title**: Ajax 5–1 Liverpool (1966)
- **image**: File:Europacup I. Ajax tegen Liverpool 5-1, Johan Cruijff in duel, Bestanddeelnr 919-8589.jpg
- **image size**: 250
- **caption**: Johan Cruyff about to kick the ball, with defender Tommy Smith (footballer, born 1945), Tommy Smith nearby
- **event**: 1966–67 European Cup second round first leg
- **team1**: AFC Ajax, Ajax
- **team1score**: 5
- **team2**: Liverpool F.C., Liverpool
- **team2score**: 1
- **date**: 7 December 1966
- **stadium**: Olympic Stadium (Amsterdam), Olympic Stadium
- **attendance**: 55,722
- **city**: Amsterdam
- **referee**: Antonio Sbardella (Italian Football Federation, Italy)