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

 GK 1  Gert BalsRB 2  Wim SuurbierCB 3  Tonny PronkCB 4  Frits Soetekouw  (c)LB 5  Theo van DuivenbodeRH 6  Henk GrootLH 7 Bennie Muller  RW 8  Sjaak SwartIR 9  Johan CruyffIL 10 Klaas NuningaLW 11  Cees de WolfManager: Rinus Michels GK 1  Tommy LawrenceRB 2  Chris LawlerIL 3  Bobby GrahamCB 4  Tommy Smith  CB 5  Ron Yeats (c)LB 6  Willie StevensonRW 7  Ian CallaghanIR 8  Roger HuntRH 9  Ian St. JohnLH 10 Geoff StrongLW 11 Peter ThompsonManager: Bill Shankly

References

Books


Other websites

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

Category:1966–67 European Cup
Category:1966 in association football
Category:AFC Ajax
Category:Liverpool F.C.
Category:UEFA Champions League matches