Ko Itakura did not look good in the run-up to Qarabag’s 1-0 against Ajax. Theo Janssen made this assessment during halftime of the Champions League match Ziggo Sports. The Japanese defender, who plays as a midfielder, let Camilo Durán run away from the opposing goal.
“What’s going wrong? It’s one long ball. It’s just a matter of standing correctly,” Janssen begins his analysis. “Itakura is covering completely on the wrong side, is only concerned with the ball and not with his man. In these types of situations you have to seek contact.”
“Itakura has no idea where the striker is. Then he is suddenly there and you are too late. You have to sense these kinds of situations,” the analyst continues. “Itakura has completely lost that striker and I think Vitezslav Jaros can do a little more, because the ball shoots quite far. If he just runs to the box, he can grab it with his hands.”
Ajax leveled about five minutes before the end thanks to an excellent shot from Kasper Dolberg. The Amsterdammers have made little impression in Azerbaijan so far. The team of interim coach Fred Grim shot only once on goal in the first half.
