Ajax - PAOK Saloniki CL Qualifier

[Sandro]

That is not correct, I think. In my memory out of 4 qualification attempts they succeeded zero times

Yep, they didn't qualify for the CL last season.

[Ayman]

That is not correct, I think. In my memory out of 4 qualification attempts they succeeded zero times

Yep, they didn't qualify for the CL last season.

True, but they got passed the first round didnt they?

[Cruijff]

No. Click on my link and you will see there results.

[souras84]

The truth is that I am 3 hours away from Salonika. The bad thing is I work both on the matchday and the day after. Even if I went, I would go with the home fans since most of my friends are Paok supporters. Usually there is some trouble with Dutch fans over here.

[Cruijff]

The truth is that I am 3 hours away from Salonika. The bad thing is I work both on the matchday and the day after. Even if I went, I would go with the home fans since most of my friends are Paok supporters. Usually there is some trouble with Dutch fans over here.

Yes, PAOK Sakoniki isn't a really safe opponent for an away fan.

I would like to go.

[souras84]

Not 100% sure, but last time you guys were attacked at a cafe. I think somebody got stabbed. Definitely not a safe place. Those Paok supporters even pick up fights between them! They are some of the most annoying and remind me of the feyenoord supporters. From what I've seen on Dutch TV

[Cruijff]

Not 100% sure, but last time you guys were attacked at a cafe. I think somebody got stabbed. Definitely not a safe place. Those Paok supporters even pick up fights between them!

This kind of stuff happens quite often in Greece, right? Also in Athens a lot of riots between Panathinaikos and Olympiakos that is by far not only around football but continues during the basketball matches or volleyball games and also random in a cafe,

[Orange14]

Yes, PAOK Sakoniki isn't a really safe opponent for an away fan.

I would like to go.

Says the man who lives life on a knife's edge; Mr Danger is his name!!!

[souras84]

There are attacks and outside football. Basketball and volleyball too, but not so much in everyman's cafe. They are usually something like gangs having arranged a "fight" between them. Some hardcore fans here, seem that they don't have a life outside the team they support.

The situation with football in Greece is really sad. There haven't been away fans in Greek derbies for the past 6 or more years.

[Ayman]

In their last game PAOK drew 1-1 with minnows Apollon http://uk.soccerway.com/matches/2016/07 ... D=PL_MS_08 they seem to have played better away than at home, I guess we have to wait and see of the form of the day for both teams. Ajax have Bazoer, Younes injured only? And Milik still time off

[Cruijff]

In their last game PAOK drew 1-1 with minnows Apollon http://uk.soccerway.com/matches/2016/07 ... D=PL_MS_08 they seem to have played better away than at home,

Teams that play on 'lousy counter attack' like PAOK usually perform better in away games.
But Steaua Bucharest won 4-3 against them. If Steaua scores 4 goals against them, we should be able to score 7.

I guess we have to wait and see of the form of the day for both teams. Ajax have Bazoer, Younes injured only? And Milik still time off

Milik will have his first training only two days before the game. Perhaps he will surprise us and return earlier from vacation today as playing football and train on the pitch is what Milik loves most.

Younes had/has a small injury.

I want Ajax to sell El Ghazi but in this stage he's still usefull.
Ajax can bring in the same attack as against Olympique Marseille with Cassierra as left winger/helping the central forward, Kasper Dolberg as central forward and El Ghazi as a right winger. I'm quite confident with that.

[Ayman]

In their last game PAOK drew 1-1 with minnows Apollon http://uk.soccerway.com/matches/2016/07 ... D=PL_MS_08 they seem to have played better away than at home,

Teams that play on 'lousy counter attack' like PAOK usually perform better in away games.
But Steaua Bucharest won 4-3 against them. If Steaua scores 4 goals against them, we should be able to score 7.

I guess we have to wait and see of the form of the day for both teams. Ajax have Bazoer, Younes injured only? And Milik still time off

Milik will have his first training only two days before the game. Perhaps he will surprise us and return earlier from vacation today as playing football and train on the pitch is what Milik loves most.

Younes had/has a small injury.

I want Ajax to sell El Ghazi but in this stage he's still usefull.
Ajax can bring in the same attack as against Olympique Marseille with Cassierra as left winger/helping the central forward, Kasper Dolberg as central forward and El Ghazi as a right winger. I'm quite confident with that.

Isn't Cassierra an out and out striker? As for the left wing, I would imagine that if anyone would be useful there, it would be Cerny

[Cruijff]

I want Ajax to sell El Ghazi but in this stage he's still usefull.
Ajax can bring in the same attack as against Olympique Marseille with Cassierra as left winger/helping the central forward, Kasper Dolberg as central forward and El Ghazi as a right winger. I'm quite confident with that.

Isn't Cassierra an out and out striker? As for the left wing, I would imagine that if anyone would be useful there, it would be Cerny

He is in potential a great striker.
He is fast, fysically strong, works hard to help the team, scores goals. Still can become much better.

But in my opinion he will be really dangerous in CL quali when you use him on the left. Of course when PAOK passes the ball into Klaassen's or Veltman's feet you have to react really quick. I then give Cassierra permission to go deep directly so we can punish them off in the same sort of counter attacks these Greek bastards will for sure try to pull on us.

But when playing on the left side with his speed he can cause danger, way more danger than for example Viktor Fischer who played as left winger many times the past years.

PAOK are a defensive side, we have to attack over the wings. When El Ghazi is attacking on the right side the left winger has to come into the box. Just watch over here in the Olympique Marseille-Ajax highlights where Cassierra was also playing from the left and Dolberg central:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTZKLWYzrwY

At 0:38... Tete sets up a good attack, El Ghazi moves like a winger, Dolberg is in front of the goal but Cassierra storms into the box to that we are there with two strikers, beats his man and scores 0-1.

At 4.20, good cross to our right forward. El Ghazi crosses it in front of the goal, Cassierra gives his opponent zero chance to defend the header, is unlucky with hitting the cross-bar, but then Dolberg is also there as an 'extra striker' and as a result of that it ends up in the net.

[Cruijff]

So to make a long story short. Just watch how we scored twice against Olympique Marseille:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTZKLWYzrwY

At 0.38 and at 4.20 and let me know if you agree to what I say or how you see it.

[Ayman]

So to make a long story short. Just watch how we scored twice against Olympique Marseille:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTZKLWYzrwY

At 0.38 and at 4.20 and let me know if you agree to what I say or how you see it.

The attack looks good, although El Ghazi must learn to pass more than shoot. I am a little concerned about Donny van de Beek, he was supposed to be the next best thing, you know a little like when van der Vaart came to the scene. Also, why are they not playing Sanchez instead of Viergever? If he is right footed then let Veltman occupy the left slot of the centre of defense. But this game is encouraging, lots to build on though.

[Cruijff]

So to make a long story short. Just watch how we scored twice against Olympique Marseille:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTZKLWYzrwY

At 0.38 and at 4.20 and let me know if you agree to what I say or how you see it.

The attack looks good, although El Ghazi must learn to pass more than shoot.

Yes agree with you about El Ghazi.
El Ghazi annoys me a lot, if AC Milan comes with a bag of money, I prefer him to go.

Surviving both rounds for Champions League qualification for Ajax is tough, but losing against Rapid Vienna was completely his fault. At a 0-2 score Milik was in front of an empty goal. Instead of passing El Ghazi went for his own glory and missed. With a 0-3 lead in Vienna it would have been game over.

I am a little concerned about Donny van de Beek, he was supposed to be the next best thing, you know a little like when van der Vaart came to the scene. Also, why are they not playing Sanchez instead of Viergever? If he is right footed then let Veltman occupy the left slot of the centre of defense. But this game is encouraging, lots to build on though.

Donny vd Beek is different than Van der Vaart.
With Carel Eiting, still 17 and in the A1, Nouri and Cerny he is my favourite kid at the academy. He knows the passing game quite well, but in Ajax 1 it was a bit disappointing so far.

He is another type than Van der Vaart who scored a lot of incredible goals at the age of 17, 18 and 19:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIP7VtkalZg

But Van der Vaart already became fat and out of shape at the age of 20.

Also, why are they not playing Sanchez instead of Viergever? If he is right footed then let Veltman occupy the left slot of the centre of defense.

Sanchez is not in Amsterdam yet.
One of the reasons he is now a player of Ajax and not of FC Barcelona is that Overmars agreed on (a big amount of money) but also on him participating in the semi final and final of the Copa Libertadores with his team.

After beating Sao Paulo home and away in the semi final he and his team look like they're gonna win it at as against their opponent from Ecuador they played 1-1 in the away game.

[Ayman]

The other bad feeling here is, PAOK have two former Feyenoord players, Diego Biseswar and Garry Rodriguez. Ok, Garry only played for the reserves and didn't play for the first team, but the former did. We have all seen how former Feyenoord players come back to haunt Ajax, as per Jon-Dahl Tommasson for AC Milan, and Johan Elmander for Brondby. Ajax pulled through against Brondby though despite being a goal down, from Johan. But still....

[Ayman]

here is what a PAOK fan has had to say

"Even though you had Suarez back then, the gap between the two teams wasn't very big. TBH i don't know how good your current roster is, but ours is not even close to the roster we had back then.That roster had unbeliavable synergy,motivation,passion and almost every player was unique in our eyes.Now we just see 11 players that barely know how to controll the damn ball, and our whole strategy is passsing back to the keeper and trying to find someone with long balls... Unless we make some good transfers this summer, i think we will even struggle to get in europa league groups."

To add to that, PAOK recently lost their key player, Róbert Mak, a Slovakian international pacey winger. We shall see how things go.

[Cruijff]

Yep Róbert Mak who was involved in most of their goals has been sold to Zenit. PAOK are in financial trouble so they have to sell their best player. My prediction: 3-0 or 3-1.

[Ayman]

Yep Róbert Mak who was involved in most of their goals has been sold to Zenit. PAOK are in financial trouble so they have to sell their best player. My prediction: 3-0 or 3-1.

I think it will be tough, I would say more like 2-1 or 3-2, Ajax's midfield is weak, although a little stronger now that Mr Irreplaceable is injured.

[Cruijff]

Yep Róbert Mak who was involved in most of their goals has been sold to Zenit. PAOK are in financial trouble so they have to sell their best player. My prediction: 3-0 or 3-1.

I think it will be tough, I would say more like 2-1 or 3-2, Ajax's midfield is weak, although a little stronger now that Mr Irreplaceable is injured.

----> their best playerS... more transfers will follow.

Well... I'm confident about us scoring some goals, but indeed, the midfield and the defense still look shaky.

[SPL]

Who will be our Mf . Gudelj suspended Bazoer injured .Klaassen ,Riedewald and maybe v d Beek or Sinkgraven.

[Ayman]

Who will be our Mf . Gudelj suspended Bazoer injured .Klaassen ,Riedewald and maybe v d Beek or Sinkgraven.

This is their chance to excel, especially Klaassen and van de Beek, however I do see them struggling, when PAOK are on the offensive

[Orange14]

Who will be our Mf . Gudelj suspended Bazoer injured .Klaassen ,Riedewald and maybe v d Beek or Sinkgraven.

The report I saw said it would be the same lineup that started against Olympique Marseille. Most important thing is for the back line to stay focused and not concede a goal. I think the offense will take care of itself particularly if the club does a good job of high pressing.

Looks like there will be Internet feeds of the match in both countries so it is not clear whether there will be a feed of the match today. Certainly I cannot find anything on the US listings this morning.

[Ayman]

Feyenoord?

A bit late, and a little off topic, but if we look at the passed two seasons, Feyenoord finished top of their group, which included Seville ,they also got a 1-1 draw away to Roma in the knockout stages. At the moment Ajax can only dream of achieving such results.