WARSAW, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- Polish champions Jagiellonia Bialystok lost to Ajax 4-1 in the play-off of the UEFA Europa League on Thursday evening.
Striker Chuba Akpom scored a hat-trick in the match where the team coached by Francesco Farioli was seen as a strong favorite.
Hosts Jagiellonia needed just five minutes to break the deadlock with a precise header from Adrian Dieguez. However, Ajax responded quickly. In the 10th minute, Chuba Akpom turned a perfect pass from Steven Berghuis into a goal, leveling the score at 1-1.
Ajax took the initiative and was rewarded in the 28th minute. Devyne Rensch's perfect cross from the left wing allowed Mika Godts to find the net with a header into the near post.
In the second half, the favorites continued to dominate. Fifteen minutes after the break, Jagiellonia goalkeeper Slawomir Abramowicz saved a shot from Kenneth Taylor, but he couldn't stop Akpom's rebound.
In the 69th minute, the 28-year-old forward completed his hat-trick by converting a penalty. Ajax then controlled the game to secure a comfortable 4-1 victory. The Dutch side could have scored even more, but Godts missed a penalty with 11 minutes remaining.
The second leg is scheduled for August 29 in Amsterdam. ■
