No longer a Barça lounger: Sergiño Dest at PSV (olf FC Barcelona)

Mulling over the possibilities

Cobbled together from a garbled translation ...

Apparently Onana's backup in goal is Portuguese Bruno Varela, on loan from Benfica, who went through Valladolid three years ago.

 

Looking at the Champion's League possibilities ...

Currently Ajax 10, Valencia 8, Chelsea 8

All three teams with their fate in their own hands.

Valencia holds the tie-breaker over Chelsea {win/draw in head-to-head}
Chelsea holds the tie-breaker over Ajax {win/draw in head-to-head}
Ajax and Valencia cannot finish tied on points

Ajax win, Chelsea win - Ajax and Chelsea advance [A13 C11 V8]
Ajax win, Chelsea draw - Ajax and Chelsea advance [A13 C9 V8]
Ajax win, Chelsea lose - Ajax and Valencia advance [A13 V8 C8]

Ajax draw, Chelsea win - Chelsea and Ajax advance [C11 A11 V9]
Ajax draw, Chelsea draw - Ajax and Valencia advance [A11 V9 C9]
Ajax draw, Chelsea lose - Ajax and Valencia advance [A11 V9 C8]

Ajax lose, Chelsea win - Valencia and Chelsea advance [V11 C11 A10]
Ajax lose, Chelsea draw - Valencia and Ajax advance [V11 A10 C9]
Ajax lose, Chelsea lose - Valencia and Ajax advance [V11 A10 C8]

Ajax is always through with a win or a draw, though a win assures first place and a draw doesn't. Ajax can lose and advance in second place, but only if Chelsea does not win.

As with most (all?) years, this would be a good year to win the group and avoid one of the other strong first place finishers in the Round of 16.

Hope we have two good, exciting matches tomorrow.

 

Ajax v Valencia update ...

"Ten Hag has injury issues ahead of the clash, with Quincy Promes, David Neres and Zakaria Labyad definitely out.

Andre Onana was also a doubt for the game but he is expected to be okay to start.

Possible Ajax line-up: Onana, Dest, Tagliafico, Veltman, Blind, Martinez, Van de Beek, Ziyech, Tadic, Lang, Huntelaar"

https://www.football-oranje.com/champions-league-preview-ajax-v-valencia/

 

On the bench:

En de wissels van vanavond: Varela, Schuurs, Huntelaar, De Jong, Marin, Traoré, Dest. #ajaval https://t.co/ryW4G4igQ8

— Ajax Showtime (@Ajaxshowtimecom) December 10, 2019

 

unsurprisingly.

 

Fairly defensive orientation, we shall see ...

 

Lang and Martinez only changes from Chelsea. (Although Martinez played in the LDM in the 1st Chelski clash.) Guess that hat trick counted for something! lol.

 

BTW Valencia should lose simply due to those uniforms.

 

Can we pull Alvarez (on a yellow), push Maz into midfield, and slide in Dest?

 

I believe that is going to happen. Alvarez is a CB and a terrible passer. Ajax should not play him as a DM again.

Looks like Dest on (for Alvarez please god):

De wissels komen alweer tevoorschijn op het veld en Dest is begonnen aan een warming-up. Het oogt als serieus opwarmen, dus wie weet doet hij mee vanaf begin tweede helft. #ajaval

— Ajax Life (@ajaxlife) December 10, 2019

One other possibility: Lang has been terrible. Maybe Dest on as a LW.

 

They're not going to experiment with Dest as a winger in a must-win game. In for Alvarez.

 

The answer:

46. Give everything, boys!
Make us proud, Sergiño.#UCL #ajaval pic.twitter.com/11BsaQBbqn

— AFC Ajax (@AFCAjax) December 10, 2019

 

Valencia is a team that gets tired, I expect Ajax to turn it around.

 

However this turns out, it's a great developmental opportunity.

 

Almost had a good cross. Ajax looking better in attack 2nd half.

 

oh no ziyech

 

Hunter for Lang - about time. If they tie it up it will come off a header. Shots aren't getting through the bodies.

 

Why aren't we burning that third sub? Are we out of options?

 

tagliafico uh oh. why was he reacting like he didnt do anything lol

 

paulista gets a red and is ranting and dest looks like he was about to separate him and thought better of it lol

 

if ajax get an equalizer here we might see a brawl. might see one regardless

 

Whelp.

 

this now makes it a bit harder for jesse to win the europa league