UEFA Champions League 2018/19: Ajax vs Benfica

When it comes to youth development and attacking football there are two sides within European football who would come at the top of any conversation, Ajax and Benfica. This week saw the two sides meet in Group E of the Champions League.

The path that both sides have taken to reach this stage in recent years, however, has been anything but smooth with the home side, Ajax, going through something of a crisis of identity linked as it always seems to be to the late and great Johan Cruyff. There was a time, around a decade ago, that Ajax as a club was in danger of becoming unrecognisable and separated from the values that had made them the standard bearer of youth development over the years. This led to an intervention from Cruyff along with his technical heart of former Ajax players who looked to rebuild the club from the foundation phase up. What we are seeing now, under the coaching of Erik Ten Hag, is the culmination of that rebuilding with young players finding pathways to the first team and playing a brand of football that is synonymous with the Ajax way.

Benfica has undergone a similar shift in philosophy although only over the last five or so years. Traditionally when it came to youth development in Lisbon and indeed in Portugal Benfica played second fiddle to their city rivals Sporting. That is something that has started to change with the introduction of the Caixa Futebol Campus on the outskirts of Lisbon. Now, as opposed to signing ready made talents from South America and Eastern Europe before selling them on for a profit Benfica are turning their attention inwards and that is beginning to show with Benfica academy graduates starring at every level with the Portuguese national team.

What followed was an enthralling match between two sides that look to play football with attacking purpose.

Team News

We saw Ajax lineup largely as expected with Ten Hag continuing to use the Moroccan international Hakim Ziyech wide on the right whilst the Serb Dusan Tadic continues on the left. This move of Ziyech from the central 8 role has left David Neres relegated for the bench but it has created space in the centre for Lasse Schone, Donny Van De Been and Frenkie De Jong to operate in the midfield.

In attack, the Danish forward Kasper Dolberg has firmly re-established himself as the first choice at Ajax following a period out with a significant injury.

It was a surprise to