The Dutch newspapers are full of Ajax’s performance in the eighth final of the Champions League. The team of coach Erik ten Hag did not go further than a 2-2 draw when visiting Benfica, as it gave up a lead twice. The midfield of Ajax in particular has to suffer. Ten Hag chose Ryan Gravenberch and posted Davy Klaassen on the bench, but the only nineteen-year-old midfielder barely got into his game. Twenty minutes before the end he was relieved by his biggest competitor.
It General Newspaper also has an eye for Sébastien Haller. The striker shot the ball into his own goal after half an hour of play and not much later gave Ajax the lead for the second time. “When Ajax took office in the Portuguese capital in September, Sébastien Haller gave the start of a historic group stage with no fewer than four goals”, the newspaper refers to the group match against Sporting Portugal (1-5). “Against rival Benfica, the Champions League top scorer went from hell to heaven in four minutes. And Ten Hag? The coach, who let Ajax shine so often on foreign soil in the billion-dollar ball, just waited to change and was charged for it. presented.”
In the end, Ten Hag made his first substitution twenty minutes before time, when he took Ryan Gravenberch and Daley Blind to the side for Davy Klaassen and Nicolás Tagliafico. The Telegraph saw an ‘unlucky game’ for Gravenberch. “Although the mountains of work that the Amsterdammer did will appeal to Ten Hag,” the newspaper writes. “Gravenberch’s running ability – despite the good series with the midfield lvarez, Klaassen and Steven Berghuis – was also the reason for the Ajax coach to fall back on his Champions League midfield without Klaassen. Gravenberch played all six group matches from start to finish and which yielded – as is known – eighteen points.”
“It is too short-sighted to use all the complications at Ajax of the last few weeks as an excuse, because Ten Hag does not always say that his team is able to focus optimally and shut itself off from everything outside the first team. However, the cause will have to be found somewhere why the team from Amsterdam was so easily deprived of a spacious starting position by Benfica,” Valentijn Driessen continues. “Despite this, Ten Hag’s impressive away statistics in the Champions League were further increased. Of the sixteen matches as Ajax coach on the highest football stage on foreign soil, the trainer won ten, five were drawn and only Liverpool lost.”
Only one Ajax player really played a top match in Lisbon
Voetbalzone handed out report numbers to the players of Ajax.
Journalist Willem Vissers of De Volkskrant speaks of an ‘exciting duel’. “Even if Ajax plays football as a team less than usual, there are those phases that are allowed in the picture book,” says Vissers. “Heeled heels, dribbles, passes, acceleration or slowing down of pace, change of flank. Life is wonderful at the moment, for those who play football at Ajax. Or for all those thousands from all over the Netherlands who went to Lisbon to experience Ten Hag’s total football.” behold, played by men in a shirt with the colors of the tranquility of reggae and the madness of carnival.”
Fidelity looks at Benfica’s game and speaks of a ‘suicide tactic’ of trainer Nélson Verissimo. “With far too many risks in the build-up, with the slow veterans Nicolás Otamendi and Jan Vertonghen in the center back – the team from Amsterdam was repeatedly dangerous for the Portuguese goal,” the newspaper writes. “Benfica in particular did not know what to do with the right side, with Antony and the constantly emerging Mazraoui. With a dubious frown in his eyebrows, Ten Hag saw that Ajax was doing too little with it. The longer the Portuguese attacks waved towards the fortress. van Pasveer, especially the midfield of Ajax could be blamed for that.”