Rafael van der Vaart believes that Ajax has the level of Borussia Dortmund, the former international announced on Tuesday evening after the 2-0 victory over Besiktas. The team of trainer Erik ten Hag will lead in Group C together with the Bundesliga club, which will visit the Johan Cruijff ArenA on October 19. Van der Vaart is convinced that Ajax has made such an impression in Europe that Dortmund will all but underestimate the reigning national champion.
After the 1-5 victory over Sporting Portugal, Ajax was 2-0 too strong for Besiktas on Tuesday. Goals came in the name of Steven Berghuis and Sébastien Haller. With six points, Ajax leads the group stage. Dortmund is also on six points, but has a less goal difference (plus six to plus two). “We can also just be proud as Dutch football, with Ajax doing so well in the Champions League. Of course, it’s only the group stage. But they have earned the points in Europe for years and I am very proud of that as an Ajax player,” said Van der Vaart. Ziggo Sports.
Van der Vaart finds it ‘very difficult to say’ what Ajax is capable of in the Champions League. “If you have to go against Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain, it’s a different story. Only when you see Besiktas coming here, with fear and all back… That means you’ve made a name for yourself. No teams come here, not even Dortmund, to come and play the ball,” says the 38-year-old former player of Ajax, Hamburger SV, Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur, among others.
In two weeks, the squatter between Ajax and Borussia Dortmund is on the program. Van der Vaart calls Marco Rose’s team ‘a great team’. “That is really the level of Ajax”, says Van der Vaart. “Bayern Munich is too good, but Dortmund I am really curious about that.” Dortmund beat Sporting Portugal 1-0 on Tuesday evening with a goal from Donyell Malen.