The team have a nonexistent midfield and literally no DM in the squad. Plus Rabiot is a goner. Things could change over the winter sure, but I don’t subscribe to the PSG hype.
This is going to be a fun draw. This Ajax team is fearless and had to come through three rounds of qualifying to make the Group Stage of the CL. They are undefeated in Europe and have only lost one match, to PSV, when de Ligt was out injured and they had to play with a make shift back line. Ajax played even with Bayern and with a little better finishing should have won the away match in Munich. As most of you may know the record of Ajax against Madrid in the CL has been exceptionally poor this decade. The teams were drawn in the group stage for three straight years and Ajax dropped all six matches which were really not competitive. Those Ajax teams played conservative football and didn't have nearly as good a midfield as this club does. This is not going to be a cake walk for either club. I'll post a scouting report so you have a better idea of our players other than de Ligt and de Jong who everyone seems to want these days. Fortunately, they are not going to be sold in January. Just last week Ajax signed Boca Juniors defender Magallan who should help with the back line.
We’re not interested in De Jong, De ligt might be another story though. Isn’t De Jong going to PSG anyway?
Really fun match. I don't like the return match at home because of the possible high scoring result. Hope we can gain some stability and balance by then.
Yeah I’d like Atletico to KO Juve early on. Seeing Ronaldo foaming at the mouth if they do would be icing on the cake. (Albeit if we progress through Ajax)
The last time we played Ajax, we produced one of the best counter attacks I've ever seen finished off by a Benzema chilena Let's go out there and produce another majestic moment
I have no doubt that you have a better defense than what Ajax faced yesterday but this will give you a flavor of how everyone on the team is dangerous in terms of scoring.
We’re the only team in Europe that beat Atletico on knockout football, go Atleti all the way until they eventually face us and lose!
But better than United. Imagine the like of these British players, Smalling, Jones, Ashley Young. They are shit indeed!
Yes I don't think Real Madrid should take this lightly, however we avoided the likes of Liverpool who would more likely beat us
Ajax wont be easy. They have nothing to lose. And they have quality players. Plus we are far from good.
Well by the time first game will be played, Madrid might look total different side than we are now. Today , I would not be too optimistic. Cant believe I will have to root for Atletico too in this round.
pretty stupid to try and predict things now, since injuries and shape can change/shape drastically the ties. I would probably say the easiest match is the barca one, it will be hard to see them not going through and my biggest concern this year right now, the way we look, is that someone will knock them out as they are looking ripe for a triple. I also don't want the zebras in dela-empty to win it but I don't mind any other team. as for our chances, right now, if we meet them next week, I'd give it 50/50.
Ajax will be tough for us. They are a good team. I've seen a few of their games this season. Even though Ajax and Schalke were the best options of us. In a normal year getting Ajax would be like auto qualification and stat padding. We've owned them in Europe but this year is very different. We are so bad this Ajax team has young hungry players and have a couple of match winners too. They will give us a very tough time. All in all it could have been much worse and we should be thankful we got Ajax. I saw fivethirtyeight.com even made Ajax favorites against us using their win probability model. Good thing is Florentino can have a good look at De Ligt and hopefully decides to sign him. I am bracing for a tough 2 legs against their youngsters. They are a good team who will give us trouble unlike other season where we would have won with ease.
Oh we don't want De Jong but will take De Ligt happily. It's interesting that you say you have signed a south American CB. You think that means De Ligt is gone for sure this summer? That's how the wind has been blowing it seems. Also when you do post you "scouting report"...… kindly write a few lines about De Ligt as it will be interesting to hear from someone who has watched him every week. You guys have a good team this time around and our guys are not having their best season so this will be a tough game for us. Hopefully we can wake up Playoff Benzema out of cryo-sleep a bit earlier this season and that can make the difference. Best of luck in your league.
Here's an outline of Ajax players and tactics. I should also mention that anyone in the US who wants to see Ajax in person, the club will be playing in the Florida Cup in early January against Fluminense and Sao Paolo. I'm only going down for the latter match. Ajax, as with all Dutch teams, play a 4-3-3 formation but alter it depending on the opponent. In both Bayern matches, Ajax did not start with a traditional striker but had Tadic play as a false #9. The club use a double pivot in the MF with Schöne and de Jong as the deep lying MFs. They are a more sound defensive team this season but still susceptible to the counter, especially when players are too far upfield. Players: GK - Onana came over at the age of 18 from the Barcelona youth ranks and established himself as the #1 keeper when Cillessen (the Dutch #1) went the other way. He's big and very strong with good quickness. He's made several one handed saves this season including a nice one against Bayern last week. He's decent on penalties as well. LB - Tagliafico is the captain of the Argentina NT with Messi having retired (for now). He is quite fast, very good with the ball and has a very good cross. He is also lively in the box and if given a chance has a good hard shot on goal. Defensively he's a shade above average and sometimes reckless with tackles. LCB - Blind came back to the club after some time with ManU and is usually the starting center back but has played both full back (he's been starting at this position for the Dutch NT) and holding MF at Ajax. He will start against Madrid as the other defender Wöber was sent off on a Red Card last week. Blind had a hat trick over the weekend and is a very good passer of the ball. His liability is that he is not the quickest of players. RCB - de Ligt has started for the club since he was 17 and is also the starter for the Dutch NT. Hard to believe that he is only 19 years old. His ball skills are great and he is adept with both feet and can play on both the left and right sides. If he has an open field ahead, he will often go forward carrying the ball deep into the attacking zone. He is very good in the air and his analysis of the game is excellent. He is reminiscent of the best Italian central defenders in this regard. As with Sergio Ramos, he is a threat to score on set pieces. There is no question that he will leave this summer but we don't know where. RB - Mazraoui moved into the position late last year because of an injury to the starter. He is a natural MF and is still learning to play on the back line. He has good speed and a blistering if sometimes erratic shot. It was his goal that got the tie in Munich and he had another rocket over the weekend. Defensively he is still learning and can be beaten. MF - Schöne is the oldest of the starters and one who I regularly criticize. He is decent on the ball but takes too much time deciding what to do. He is defensively weak and it doesn't help that he has lost some quickness. He has a great free kick and has scored a number of goals. IMO, the weakest player that starts for Ajax. MF - de Jong is finally a full time starter for both club and country now. He is very good on the ball and has great field vision, a young Pirlo in the making. He is sound defensively. MF - van de Beek is the attacking MF, good on the ball and a decent passer as well. Defensively he is very good and is part of the upfield pressure game Ajax play. Wing - Ziyech is a player we all thought would leave this past summer but I guess there were no takers after a so-so World Cup for Morocco. He alternates with Schöne in taking free kicks and he is a very good passer of the ball. He tends to shoot any time there is an opening or even if there isn't. He can be dispossessed of the ball but he always goes quickly at the player to try to take it back. Wing - Tadic came back to the Dutch league after four years at Southampton. This was simply a great transfer and I think he has been the key player for Ajax this season. He is quick with the ball and has played on both sides of the field as well as withdrawn striker. He is the principal penalty taker. Striker - Dolberg is a Danish NT player but was hurt much of last season and still rounding back in form. He is good with the ball but sometimes wild with his shots. Key Subs: Huntelaar has split time at #9 with Dolberg and can still score goals. Neres was one of the leading scorers last season as a left wing but has been in and out of the starting lineup. He is the most controlled player on the team and will never try to take on a double team when one materializes, preferring to pass to an open man. Ajax have one month winter break after this weekend. I'll probably have more to add as we get closer to the first match. It's going to be very competitive unlike the last six meetings!!
Historically speaking, some of Ajax's greatest team went through Bernabeu. In 1973, Gerrie Muhren famously juggled the ball in the semifinal of the 1973 European Cup. I recalled reading that the RM fans loved and respected Muhren's showboat. They applauded him. I think it was Ajax on their way to their third straight European Cup titles. Muhren considered that the victory sealed their place in history. Di Stefano's Real Madrid was the club that everyone idolised as a child and Ajax needed to beat the best of the best, he said something liked that. I also seemed to recall that Muhren and one of his teammates left the stadium after the game. It was in the days where professional footballers could walk outside the stadium amiong the fans. The RM fans thought that they were Ajax fans. They congrated them for their displays. Muhren was perhaps one of the best Dutch players of his generation and among the greatest ever from Ajax. Unfortuniately, he skipped the 1974 World Cup Finals because his child was sick and he decided to stay home. He was largely forgotten in histiry, His brother Arnold later was a starting midfielder on the 1988 Dutch team with Gullit and Van Basten. He sent the cross that Van Basten scored with that volley in the Final. Gerrie later played for Real Betis and in Hong Kong, where I learned of him as a child.
As many here have already said- this looks to be a solid draw for us, all things considered. We will get the chance to see de Ligt up close which hopefully convinces the club to pursue him in the summer. Most importantly though I think Ajax’s playing style is a great matchup for this Madrid team, and any neutrals watching the tie. We have seen our squad struggle against bunkering teams but Ajax will clearly come out with the intent to play football against us. Solari would be wise to employ some counter attacking tactics, especially in the first away leg, which clearly suits players such as Bale, Asensio, etc. Should be a fun and entertaining matchup!
The real question we should ask is: who shows up? The team we had against Roma or the team we had against CSKA Moscow? Because the current team is shit. So is Solari. Solari is a shit coach, probably shittier than Lopetegui. Don't let the results fool you. We're playing garbage teams with an easier schedule and sweating to win by single goal margins. We're not likely gonna win anything with Solari at the helm. I remember how Managing Madrid were talking about the nightmare scenario that would've been having the shit coach who couldn't coach our B team helming the A team. And that's what we have now. Shit on a stick. What's worse is that we're gonna lose Isco because apparently he must've keyed Solari's car and is indefinitely benched. What a shame.