Bisnis.com, JAKARTA – Ajax coach John Van’t Schip asked his players to control the ball longer when they met Aston Villa in the first leg of the last 16 of the Conference League at the Johan Cruijff Arena Stadium, Amsterdam, Friday (8/3/2024).
Quoted from the club’s official website, Thursday, Van’t Schip believes that Aston Villa is a strong team and this can be seen from the current position of Unai Emery’s squad.
“They are strong defensively and have experience. Apart from that, they have speed and are dangerous when the game starts again,” said Van’t Schip.
“They can be constructive but also very direct. We have to play very focused. If we lose the ball in a place that is vulnerable for us, it can be very dangerous,” he continued.
The Dutch coach continued, in the next match Ajax will not play defensively and will be ready to face Aston Villa.
Van’t Schip will ask his team to stay on the ball for a long time and never give Aston Villa a chance.
“We mainly want to develop what we do. The appearance also depends on the opponent. They are quite strong, so we might be pushed back,” explained Van’t Schip.
Regarding strength in the match, he explained that Ajax would still appear without two experienced players, namely Steven Bergwijn and Steven Berghuis.
“Berghuis’ injury is quite complicated. It is the inner ligament of his knee. He can walk, but when he kicks the ball he is in a lot of pain. As long as the pain persists, playing will be impossible,” he explained.
“Meanwhile Steven won’t be there and he hasn’t played yet. He may be available again next week, away to Aston Villa or maybe against Sparta,” he concluded.
Ajax vs Aston Villa score 1-0
Ajax vs Aston Villa score 1-1
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