Boyish Ajax outlasts Lyon to book berth in Europa League final

A sleeping giant has awoken from its continental slumber at the expense of another side whose better days are but a distant memory.

Five-time European champ Ajax is off to a first continental final since 1995-96 after narrowly outlasting a spirited second-half effort from Lyon in the Europa League semi-final second leg in France.

Peter Bosz's young side will now make plans to face Manchester United, which was lucky to escape Thursday's other semi-final at Old Trafford after Celta Vigo scored late before John Guidetti inexplicably missed a would-be match-winner seconds before the match official blew his whistle for a final time.

For Ajax, Thursday's result at the Stade des Lumieres should have been a forgone conclusion after prodigious Dane Kasper Dolberg gave his lot a 5-1 aggregate advantage inside 27 minutes. Bruno Genesio's Les Gones appeared instantly defeated in weighing the prospects of overturning a considerable deficit.

That is until Alexandre Lacazette scored twice just moments before the interval to breathe life into a tie that appeared all but done, and substitute Rachid Ghezzal headed home an incisive cross from Maciej Rybus in the 81st minute.

And it should have been far more after Maxi Cornet, Nabil Fekir, and Lacazette repeatedly fired above Andre Onana's bar in a frenetic second half that saw Ajax go down to 10 men.