Ajax is in the quarter finals of a European club tournament for the third time in five years. After the 2016/17 season (Europa League) and 2018/19 (Champions League), coach Erik ten Hag’s team will once again be up for a place in the semi-finals of the Europa League. After the team from Amsterdam already dealt with Lille OSC and Young Boys, a double confrontation with AS Roma now awaits. Both teams appear at kick-off tonight at 9 p.m. without a number of important players.
“Super April”, Ten Hag mentioned recently this month, referring to the big matches that Ajax will play. The team from Amsterdam is in an excellent position and can win two prizes in the next two weeks. The cup final against Vitesse is scheduled for Sunday, April 18, and a week later Ajax can – as it looks now – become champion on their own field against AZ (April 25). The month can become even more beautiful for the team from Amsterdam, when AS Roma is played over two duels from the Europa League. Ajax is facing a tough, but certainly not an impossible task.
Due to the past and recent results in Europe, Ajax is doing well in Italy. “Ajax is a top team,” says general director Tiago Pinto on the UEFA website. “Every year the club manages to reinvent itself. They succeed time and again in attracting talented players, such as Antony, David Neres and Dusan Tadic, who have been around for a few years now. Ajax is a team that has experienced many successes in recent years, so it will be a tough task. ” Roma coach Paulo Fonseca is also deeply impressed by Ajax, he announced at a press conference on Wednesday. “For me, Ajax is one of the strongest teams in Europe from an offensive point of view. We have to play the perfect match to get a result. The key for us is that we must not make unnecessary mistakes defensively and that we must try to keep Ajax far away from our penalty area. We will also have to be strong on the ball and let Ajax run after the ball. Ajax is a team that is strong in possession, but is less eager to chase the ball “, he analyzed the Dutch top club.
Ten Hag is not sure what to expect from AS Roma. “You never know with Italians. Atalanta really played Italian here. You can expect that too, so we have to be prepared for everything ”, the Ajax coach said during the press conference on Wednesday. Roma have not won the last three games and the position of Fonseca is being called into question in the Italian media. Ten Hag nevertheless expects a very strong Roma. “I just looked at the selection and it contains 25 top players. They have so many options that there is a really good team on the field against us, ”said the trainer. “It is a very good footballing team, which from the back has the courage and skill to create a surplus through good attacking play to set itself in the attack and to be creative there. In recent weeks it seems that they are a bit less defensive, yes. ”
Injuries and absenteeism
On the side of Ajax, the absence of Daley Blind is a big loss. The the Dutch-international has been one of the most important Ajax players throughout the season and has been getting in better shape in recent months. In the World Cup qualifying match of the Dutch national team against Gibraltar (0-7), he tore the front ankle strap from his left ankle, so he can no longer play for Ajax this season. “This is the worst imaginable player for Ajax who could get injured. You don’t have those specific qualities of Blind in the selection, ”said former Ajax player Kenneth Perez aptly last weekend. ESPN after the difficult 1-2 victory over sc Heerenveen.
Noussair Mazraoui has been sidelined for nearly two months with vision problems. The Moroccan international has now returned to the training field, but a return is not yet in sight. In addition, the question is whether Maarten Stekelenburg can be deployed. The experienced goalkeeper injured his knee in the Abe Lenstra Stadium on Sunday and was replaced by Kjell Scherpen. If Stekelenburg does not recover in time for the confrontation with his former employer, Scherpen will replace him again under the bar.
“It is not a long-term problem,” said Ten Hag of Stekelenburg’s injury. “But it remains to be seen whether the recovery can go fast enough.” According to the trainer, the medical staff is doing everything they can to prepare the closing post for tonight’s game. “But we are looking from hour to hour to see if he can take the next step.” The employability of Perr Schuurs is also uncertain. The man driver has problems with his knee. “And Sean Klaiber became a father, so he didn’t train yesterday (Tuesday, ed.). But I do have the hope that Maarten, Perr and Sean will be there against AS Roma. ” André Onana and Sébastien Haller are also missing for known reasons.
AS Roma also does not appear underarm in the quarterfinals. The current number seven of the Serie A has to do without Stephan El Shaarawy. The attacker got injured in the match against Sassuolo (2-2) last weekend and will also have to miss the return against Ajax. Chris Smalling, Marash Kumbulla, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Nicolò Zaniolo are also not available for use with the Romans. Roma has tried to prepare Smalling and Mkhitaryan for the game in Amsterdam, but the pair are not fit and therefore have not traveled to the Netherlands.
Suspensions and yellow cards
Ten Hag does not have to miss any players in the home game against AS Roma – except For Onana – because of a suspension. This may be different in the return in the Stadio Olimpico. Four players are on edge and are therefore suspended for next week’s game with a yellow card. Devyne Rensch, Perr Schuurs, Nicolás Tagliafico and David Neres have to be careful. On the Roma side, Bruno Peres, Gianluca Mancini and Gonzalo Villar are on edge. Rick Karsdorp has been suspended for the game in Amsterdam; in the return, the Dutch right back is back in the party.
Suspected lineups
The big question at Ajax is whether Stekelenburg can be deployed. It Algemeen Dagblad takes into account that the 38-year-old closing post will be fit on time and can appear at kick-off tonight. If it is not recovered in time, Scherpen will be between the posts. Last Sunday, Ten Hag chose a variant against sc Heerenveen with Edson Álvarez in the rear and Rensch in the midfield, while Jurriën Timber was set up as right back. Ten Hag spoke after an ‘experiment’, but also saw that it was not going well. After the break, he chose to bring Rensch back to the rear and move Álvarez to midfield. The Mexican is expected to start in midfield tonight, alongside Ryan Gravenberch. Timber probably starts centrally in the rear, Rensch as right back. Davy Klaassen starts in the back of Dusan Tadic, according to the newspaper, while Antony and Neres play from the flanks.
The probable position according to the Algemeen Dagblad.
Probable line-up Ajax: Stekelenburg; Rensch, J. Timber, Martinez, Tagliafico; Álvarez, Klaassen, Gravenberch; Antony, Tadic, Neres
Probable position of AS Roma: Lopez; Mancini, Cristante, Ibanez; Peres, Diawara, Villar, Spinazzola; Pellegrini, Pedro; Dzeko