Friday, September 17, 2021 at 7:42 PM• Mart Oude Nijeweeme • Last update: 19:46

The good game of Ajax in the Champions League this week has not gone unnoticed by Wim Kieft. The analyst goes into his weekly column The Telegraph extensively on the performance of the team from Amsterdam and is particularly charmed by Antony’s game, good for two assists on Wednesday. Goalkeeper Remko Pasveer, on the other hand, has not been able to appeal to him much, while Sébastien Haller performed as expected, according to Kieft.

In particular, Antony’s first assist on Haller, with the outside of the left shoe, was of great beauty, Kieft also noticed. “Antony showed that he has everything to succeed at a European top club”, Kieft starts. “Unparalleled the way he took that kick from goalkeeper Remko Pasveer and enabled Haller to score Ajax’ and Haller’s second goal. Antony has the flair and brutality you like to see in a winger. He is fast, can pass, score a goal and has an eye for his fellow players. That Portuguese left back could indeed do little, but even then you have to pass him every time.”

Kieft is less pleased with Pasveer, who made a flashy mistake in the 1-2. “You could see from him that there is some pressure and high expectations at the top with a lesser goalkeeper,” Kieft continues. “As a trainer of Ajax, you hope that you do not have to rely on keepers of the caliber Pasveer and last season Kjell Scherpen. Sometimes you cannot escape it and you see the fear of that one ball. And of course it is exactly that. one ball wrong. Against Sporting at Pasveer and in the quarterfinals of the Europa League against AS Roma at Scherpen.”

Of Haller’s four goals, Kieft was not surprised. “Haller did what you expect from an Ajax striker: show up in front of the goal,” said Kieft. “He was sharp and chose the right moments to come in front of his man, to go to the near post or to stay away. The absence of Davy Klaassen required some adjustment. With Klaassen behind him, Haller always has to choose position towards the near post “With Steven Berghuis it is better to stay away because Berghuis prefers to enter the penalty area with the ball. Haller chose well in Lisbon every time and knew exactly when to come for his man, or to stay out of the situation.”