Anyone who watched Ajax take Lyon apart at the seams on Wednesday, securing a 4-1 lead in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final, will have found it an incredibly rewarding experience no matter their angle or age.For some, it's simply heartwarming to see the Dutch club dining at Europe's top table again; for too long, Ajax have been dormant on the world stage as money changes the landscape of the sport, reducing former greats to bit-part roles. For others, it was a 90-minute glimpse into the future, as an incredibly young, talented team played with a boldness and skill that belied their years.The football was exciting, innovative and creative; it was what we, as a footballing audience, have long associated Ajax with. Slick passing, clear-cut chances aplenty and deadly set pieces formed the theme of the evening, with Lyon falling prey to all three as the hosts ran riot. Had it not been for some remarkable profligacy in front of goal, Ajax's tally could well have been doubled.Talk has inevitably turned to who these young red-and-white rockstars are. Here, we profile four of the most promising players who started against Lyonall of whom are under 21 years of age. Kasper Dolberg, ForwardAjax have enjoyed great success with Danish talents; from Christian Eriksen to Viktor Fischer, and even back to Michael Laudrup, it's a nationality almost synonymous with the club.The latest Danish star to make waves for De Godenzonen is Dolberg, whose breakout 2016-17 season has caught the eye of many. He's essentially a walking highlight reel, producing stunning, acrobatic finishes on a consistent basis and lighting up games with clever flicks and backheels.Comfortable and capable anywhere across the front line at youth level, Dolberg has honed his talents as a centre-forward since breaking into the senior team. His link-up play and close-control are stellar, allowing him to drop in and drift wide to help fashion attacks, and his return of 14 goals and six assists from 24 Eredivisie starts this season is simply brilliant considering he's only 19.His awareness on the pitch is incredible; head always moving and rotating, he's able to pull off backheels in the penalty area and lay first-time passes without looking. He splits defenders in the channels expertly, darting between them to open lanes for passing, and he is very good at rounding the goalkeeper to enhance his chances of scoring when put through.There's a touch of Dennis Bergkamp about some of his play, and that should come as no surprise given the legend is a coach at the club. "It's great to work with him in training," Dolberg told NOS (h/t Football Oranje's James Rowe). "He knows so much and he gives so many good tips."Crucially, Dolberg is willing to run and press when Ajax don't have the ball. He is a tricky, technically neat player, but he's also responsible for several interceptions that lead to counter-attacks per gamea trait that hurt Lyon badly on Wednesday. Davinson Sanchez, Centre-Back"Barcelona accept they made a mistake not signing him [Sanchez] last summer," Sportwrote in March. They've asked to be kept in the loop regarding transfers as their interest remains.That's a hell of a compliment being paid to a 20-year-old defender with just shy of one full season in Europe under his belt. Perhaps it serves to highlight how incredibly impressive this first season has been, as the Colombian has become widely known as one of the best young players in his position on the planet.An athletic, snappy, aggressive defender, the 4-1 win over Lyon illuminated one of his best attributes: His ability to read the game and come roaring out of the defensive line, delivering a firm tackle and sparking a counter-attack in the process. He challenges with unerring accuracy and consistency already; despite playing in such a front-footed, potentially risky manner, he's only averaged one foul per game in the Eredivisie (and has only received two yellow cards).Sanchez is a complete physical prospect: tall enough for his position, quicker than most of his colleagues, fast in recovery over long distances, and, most impressively, acrobatic when the situation requires. The overhead kick he scored in April against AZ Alkmaar was absolutely ridiculous.Justin Kluivert, WingerThe second coming of Kluivert is just as exciting as the first was. Justin, son of Patrick, made his debut in January, his first start two weeks later, and ever since then he has been gaining steam. The name helps, but what's really important is that he's an incredibly talented player, too.Capable of playing off either flank, Kluivert's already showcased how clever he is in how he varies his ways of attacking defenders. Sometimes he cuts inward and shoots; sometimes he drifts into central positions and plays killer passes into forwards' paths; and sometimes he hits the byline to crack the pitch open, crossing with accuracy.His close control, technique and dribbling ability are, predictably, superb; at ease on the ball, his soft feet manipulate it easily as he twists and turns at will. He never looks flustered; he actually saunters about at times, clearly relishing being on the pitch and on the ball. "I just love playing football," he told Wayne Harrison ofUEFA's website last year.His ability to play reverse passes takes entire defensive lines out of games at times. To have that awareness, poise and precision at such a young age is just jaw-dropping. Matthijs De Ligt, Centre-BackDespite being just 17 years of age and in the midst of his first professional season, De Ligt's already experienced the extreme highs and lows of senior football. He was called up to the Netherlands squad in March and given the chance to make his bow, but he made an error that led to one of Bulgaria's goals in a 2-0 loss.The post-mortem was a vicious, public debacle; Danny Blind lost his job as a result, and De Ligt's stock took a serious hit, but the fact the former put the latter in that position in the first place was risible.On Wednesday, we saw De Ligt at his confident, composed best. An excellent one-on-one defender, he held his ground against Lyon's quick, strong players, often dispossessing them and walling them off to see balls out for goal kicks. He was also pro-active in pushing forward and hunting interceptions, and he produced a few lovely long-range passes.He's 6'2" but on the slight side, which is to be expected given he has years of growth in him yet. It'll be interesting to see how his game changes as he fills out, but he has all the raw defensive characteristics required to reach the top. Follow @stighefootballFacebook.com/SamTigheBRAll statistics via WhoScored.comRead more World Football news on BleacherReport.com
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