Dirk Kuyt and Wesley Sneijder are lyrical about the performance of Sébastien Haller and Antony in the Champions League match between Sporting Portugal and Ajax (1-5). The analysts of RTL7 conclude after the game that Haller has ‘gagged’ the necessary mouths with his four-clapper. Kuyt and Sneijder argued for a base place for Dusan Tadic in the striker prior to the match itself, but Haller showed why he deserved the trust.
“If you score four goals, yes,” Sneijder responds to the question from presenter Humberto Tan whether Haller is the man of the match. “He shuts many mouths with this.” Kuyt believes that Antony and Haller should be crowned man of the match together. “What I find so special about Haller is that he often takes with the right and shoots with the left. That is somewhat his own movement,” says Kuyt. “What an evening. Everyone was a bit critical of Haller and we both chose Tadic. But it remains just a striker who can score goals.”
“Ajax can be happy with the Tadic option. He is a fantastic player, but he has hardly appeared in the game,” concludes the former attacker. “Very often the attack went on the right and Tadic was not used much. That is a shame if you have such a player in your team, especially because it is your captain.” The left winger of Ajax was allowed to finish the match, unlike Antony. Twenty minutes before the end, Antony was replaced by compatriot David Neres. An incomprehensible switch, says Sneijder.
“Isn’t that unprecedented?” asks the former midfielder. “That Antony is fantastic in the game. He has already given three assists. Give that boy a goal! Tadic, who is not in the game at all, you can also change once: that’s not bad, is it?” Sneijder then looks at the interview with Haller with a smile and concludes: “Of course this will not happen to him every match, he knows that himself, but at least he has given his business card.”