today, 15:50 | by NielsOpdam
In the Preseason series, Ajax Showtime observes Ajax’s preparation for the 2023-2024 season. In the second episode, attention is paid to the second exhibition match against Shakhtar Donetsk.
Ajax won 3-0 against Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday afternoon. Maurice Steijn’s team won the exhibition match thanks to the stars Mohammed Kudus and Branco van den Boomen. The Ghanaian scored two goals and provided an assist. A number of internationals returned and Benjamin Tahirović made his unofficial debut with the Amsterdam club.
PHOTO: AFC AJAX
Steijn’s team did not start the exhibition game strongly, but after about twenty minutes it started to run better for the team. Ajax did what you can expect from Ajax. Good and high pressure was applied, so that the team from Amsterdam regularly conquered the ball in the last part of the field. In addition, there was often played directly ahead in the first half. The highlight of the first half (and the game) was the attack before the 2-0. Shortly after an interception by Tahirović, Van den Boomen got the ball. He passed Devyne Rensch, who gave the ball to Kudus. The Ghanaian laid the ball ready, after which Steven Bergwijn – who played a good game – scored the second goal hard. Before Bergwijn could score, Christian Rasmussen made a good transition.
In the first half, Ajax played with a young central duo and they should certainly not remain unnamed. Jorrel Hato and Olivier Aertssen stood out positively and were good at building up. Hato showed himself with a number of splitting passes, while Aertssen also asserted himself with a number of good openings. In addition, the two talents were not afraid to dribble. In the second half there were many changes and there was little depth in Ajax’s game. The game was therefore significantly less in the second half. Kenneth Taylor was the best man on Ajax’s side in the second act. However, the 21-year-old midfielder also had some opportunities, which he could have used.
Van den Boomen throws passes and clearly asserts himself
Van den Boomen came over from Toulouse on a free transfer this transfer period. The Dutch midfielder was Sven Mislintat’s first acquisition at Ajax. The German sees Van den Boomen as ‘a real football eight’ and calls him someone who is ‘on the ball a lot’. The midfielder proved that against Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday afternoon. Van den Boomen always wanted the ball, because he constantly asked his fellow players for it. The Ajax player showed that he has a good kick and is clean in his passing. He took care of the openings, almost always played the ball forward and sent Kudus and Bergwijn deep several times.
Mislintat previously called the midfielder ‘a personality on and off the field’. Van den Boomen also showed that on Tuesday, because the midfielder was busy coaching his teammates. In the second half, Van den Boomen also played in sixth position until the sixtieth minute, with Taylor and Davy Klaassen in front of him. The purchase did the job properly and in that position he was able to send Taylor deep twice. If Van den Boomen plays this season as he did on Tuesday, he has a good chance of a starting spot.
Mislintat must do everything he can to keep Kudus
Kudus has been playing at Ajax since 2020 and played thirty games in the Eredivisie last season. He scored eleven goals and provided four assists in the league. If we are to believe the reports, Kudus wants to leave Ajax. Nevertheless, the Ghanaian was still on the field of Sportpark de Toekomst on Tuesday. Against Shakhtar Donetsk, Kudus, with Van den Boomen, was the best man on the side of the team from Amsterdam. He played as a right winger and showed his class. The Ajax player had some wonderful actions and controlled Van den Boomen’s deep balls as if it were nothing. Just before the break, he took such a high ball to his chest and held the ball high a number of times.
Kudus played as a right winger last season and was re-lined there on Tuesday, but the Ghanaian is of course also an option in ten position. The question is whether Steijn will use it there, but that is a question for later. Until September 1, the biggest question is: will Kudus stay with Ajax? In any case, during the exhibition game with Shakhtar Donetsk, the Ghanaian showed that Mislintat must do everything possible to keep him on board. In recent times, Kudus has been linked to clubs such as Brighton & Hove Albion, Manchester United and Arsenal.
Tahirović starts awkwardly, but recovers during his unofficial debut
This summer, Ajax paid a maximum of 8.5 million euros for Tahirović, who came over from AS Roma. The Bosnian midfielder was Mislintat’s second purchase. After the transfer, the Ajax director said that Tahirović plays as a defensive midfielder in a 4-3-3 system. “He is, in my opinion, one of the greatest talents I’ve ever seen in this position,” Mislintat said. Tahirović started his unofficial debut at Ajax on Tuesday in sixth position.
The Bosnian started a bit awkward and unhappy, but that is of course not surprising. It was his first game in a new environment, so the nerves were undoubtedly present. Around the twentieth minute, the midfielder came into the game better. The Ajax purchase showed that he can be fierce defensively and has a good passing. Before the 2-0, the midfielder was important with an interception. After a somewhat awkward start, Tahirović showed that he has potential in sixth position. For the time being, Edson Álvarez is his competitor in that place, but it is expected that the Mexican will leave this summer.
Wijndal again does not make a good impression as a left back
Owen Wijndal was brought to Ajax last summer as the successor to Nicolás Tagliafico. He eventually came to twenty league games and was unable to secure a permanent starting place. Wijndal was allowed to play in the second half against Shakhtar Donetsk, because Anass Salah-Eddine started as left back in the first half. Wijndal did not make a good impression in the second company, just like against FC Den Bosch. In the first half, Salah-Eddine made a better impression with his offensive plays and some good defensive plays.
Wijndal made many rude fouls on his opponent. He did this three times on the half of the Ukrainians. If it wasn’t an exhibition game, the left back would probably have received at least one card from the referee. In addition, Wijndal was regularly badly positioned and gave a number of weak passes. The left back had two good attacks offensively, but whether that is enough to become Ajax’s first left back, Steijn can decide.
Bassey plays a good game, but still makes a mistake
Calvin Bassey was brought to Ajax last year as the replacement for Lisandro Martínez. The Nigerian defender cost the Amsterdam club at least 23 million euros. Bassey was not able to convince in his first season at Ajax. He regularly made mistakes and was not playing football at the level that one expects at Ajax. On Tuesday, the defender was allowed to play in the second half. Overall, Bassey played a good game against Shakhtar Donetsk.
After Remko Pasveer played in a wrong ball, the Nigerian corrected the goalkeeper’s mistake well. Bassey was fierce and good defensively, but the Ajax player went to the ball still in error. After 63 minutes he waited too long to play and handed the ball to a Shakhtar player. It was not punished, because Pasveer made a good save. It seems that Bassey will stay with Ajax. In Amsterdam he has a formidable competitor with Hato, who currently seems to be above him in the pecking order.
Niels Opdam (email: [email protected])
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Read more Preseason:
#1 – Young talents give Steijn reason to make choices
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2023-07-19 13:50:00
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