UEFA Champions League: Ajax vs Sturm Graz

Last season was a difficult one for Ajax Amsterdam. Their pre-season preparations were thrown in to disarray by the decision of coach Peter Bosz to depart for Borussia Dortmund. We then saw the club look inwards for the coaches replacement with Marcel Keizer moving up from his role with Jong Ajax to take charge of the first team. This appointment only lasted until December when he was relieved of his position and replaced by the FC Utrecht coach Erik Ten Hag.

Under Ten Hag there was a definite sense of improvement from Ajax with the club once again adopting a clear playing philosophy although there were still teething problems which prevented Ajax from challenging successfully for the Eredivisie title.

Coming into the 2018/19 season there is a feeling that Ajax are in a position to reassert themselves domestically. They have survived relatively intact this summer with wide forward Justin Kluivert being the only notable departure having joined Roma. In terms of players coming into the squad, we saw Ajax sign two players with significant experience of the Eredivisie with Daley Blindd rejoining the squad from Manchester United and Dusan Tadic, formerly of Groningen and FC Twente, signing from Southampton. These two will join the squad alongside the likes of Kaj Sierhuis, Carel Eiting and Noussair Mazraoul who will gain more first-team minutes from the youth ranks.

As has been the case in recent years for Ajax the season curtain-raiser once again came in the qualifying rounds of the Champions League where we saw them hosting the Austrian side Sturm Graz.

Lineups

The first thing to stand out when looking at the team news coming out of the Amsterdam Arena saw was that one of the biggest midfield prospects in World football Frenkie De Jong was starting at centre back alongside Matthijs De Ligt. This was a role that De Jong had fulfilled in stages last season where his probing runs from the central defender gave an extra dimension to the attacking phase. It was expected that De Jong would revert to his more natural midfield position coming into this season but injuries dictated that he would start again on the left of the two central defenders.

We also saw starting shirts handed to two of the young players mentioned earlier with Noussair Mazraoul starting at right back and Carel Eiting in the centre of the midfield. In terms of replacing Justin Kluivert who had played last season out on the left-hand side, we saw Brazilian David Neres start from that side with Hakim Ziyech apparently starting wide on the right, as we would see as the game progressed Ziyech positioned himself far more centrally.