21 OCT 2020; Ajax - Liverpool; CL Group Match Day 1

[Orange14]

This Wednesday Ajax take on a Liverpool team that is without some key starters: Alison, van Dijk and Thiago. They still have enough good forwards to cause the Ajax defense a lot of trouble. This could be a game where lots of goals get scored by both teams or it even could end at 0-0. It Ajax play a good passing game as they did against Heerenveen they will be OK. I wonder if EtH goes to the false #9 and moves Tadic to the middle of the forward line.

This will be a true test of this AJax club.

[Cruijff]

It will be a 5-1 win for Ajax.
Cees de Wolf will score two times.

[Orange14]

It will be a 5-1 win for Ajax.
Cees de Wolf will score two times.

I lover your optimism!!! I also expect Ajax to win every match but am sometimes disappointed. I still have 'Lucas Mora' nightmares!!!!

[Cruijff]

I still have 'Lucas Mora' nightmares!!!!

Absolutely NOOOO idea who that is!

I love your optimism!!! I also expect Ajax to win every match but am sometimes disappointed.

I also start every match day with expecting my team being to able to show moments of better football than all opponents in Europe.
Not only we have been proven true in 2019, also remember this great match!! Orange14!

That really was a class performance and imagine: if you can play that well with Danny Hoesen, Thulani Serero, Tobias Sana Davy Klaassen, Viktor Fischer, Nicolai Boilesen, Lasse Schöne and Daley Blind in your team and managed by Frank de Boer... the sky is the limit now.

[Orange14]

I still have the recording of the Barcelona win on my DVR. I never wanted to delete it!!!

[kezme44]

is this being aired in the US on CBS all access? looks like another streaming service that i need to subscribe to...

[Orange14]

is this being aired in the US on CBS all access? looks like another streaming service that i need to subscribe to...

I believe the answer is YES! They carried all the CL matches that were played in Portugal over the summer. The cost is reasonable at $9.99 and they have some good original programing that we watch.

[Ayman]

Bad news, Antony won't play in this game, if that is the case, and Neres is still not match fit, then Promes and Tadic on the wings while Traore/Labyad up front or?

[Cruijff]

Bad news, Antony won't play in this game,

There is a live press conference right now.

Ten Hag refuses to answer all questions about Antony either he has corona or just got injured. "Antony not fit" is all information we get.

[Orange14]

Thiago and Joel Matip did not train for Liverpool yesterday and likely will not travel to Amsterdam for tomorrow's game.

[Cruijff]

Thiago and Joel Matip did not train for Liverpool yesterday and likely will not travel to Amsterdam for tomorrow's game.

Don't know about Matip, but Thiago will be out for sure.

Ajax will miss Antony and Timber, Liverpool will come to Amsterdam without goalie Alisson, Van Dijk, Thiago and perhaps also without Joel Matip.

[Ayman]

Neres still isn't fit to start, so the line up, Promes - Traore - Tadic? Why not take a leap of faith, play
Promes - Kudus - Tadic with Gravenberch (10) - Klaassen (8) - Martinez (6)

[kezme44]

is this being aired in the US on CBS all access? looks like another streaming service that i need to subscribe to...

I believe the answer is YES! They carried all the CL matches that were played in Portugal over the summer. The cost is reasonable at $9.99 and they have some good original programing that we watch.

thanks. signed up for it. it's 5.99 so not bad and you can stream every game. thought the streaming quality is not very good at all. there's significant blur and it's not my internet connection, because all the other streaming services (netflix, prime, espn+, criterion, etc) look fine...

[Orange14]

is this being aired in the US on CBS all access? looks like another streaming service that i need to subscribe to...

I believe the answer is YES! They carried all the CL matches that were played in Portugal over the summer. The cost is reasonable at $9.99 and they have some good original programing that we watch.

thanks. signed up for it. it's 5.99 so not bad and you can stream every game. thought the streaming quality is not very good at all. there's significant blur and it's not my internet connection, because all the other streaming services (netflix, prime, espn+, criterion, etc) look fine...

Weird, I watched the Juve match today and the picture was fine. I had no issues at all with it watching the CL games over the summer.

[Amol]

Yeah I signed up for CBS as well today and streaming quality was decent. No complaints. It's a better deal than BR Live for sure. Absolutely amazing to not have to listen to Steve Nash and Stu Holden - who are both absolutely clueless and horrendous.

I think we'll end up seeing Promes-Tadic-Neres with Traore coming on as a sub. Absolutely gutted to miss Antony tomorrow.

I also fear ETH wanting to put together a MF of Gravenberch-Alavarez-Klaassen tomorrow. Which would be a disaster.

[Ayman]

Jordan Henderson picked up a knock this morning, therefore is ruled out, Diogo Jota fell ill, although he isn't a regular for the team. But Henderson is the current Gerard of the team, that will be a huge loss, PROVIDED that Alvarez doesn't start!

[GangstaRiB]

Would be very surprised if we would pick up a win tonight. Although it seems Liverpool is weakened by some last minute developments. The sheer difference in pace and strength between Eredivisie and PL is enormous. Our backline is not used to defend quality players like Salah, Mane and Firmino, the latter always roaming between the midfield and attack.

Would settle for a draw.

[Ayman]

Would be very surprised if we would pick up a win tonight. Although it seems Liverpool is weakened by some last minute developments. The sheer difference in pace and strength between Eredivisie and PL is enormous. Our backline is not used to defend quality players like Salah, Mane and Firmino, the latter always roaming between the midfield and attack.

Would settle for a draw.

It's actually good for Ajax to face such a tough opposition in the early stages of the competition, in a few weeks/months Ajax would be ready and have a contingency plan (Hopefully), so it can potentially make them stronger with this kind of experience.

[Orange14]

Would be very surprised if we would pick up a win tonight. Although it seems Liverpool is weakened by some last minute developments. The sheer difference in pace and strength between Eredivisie and PL is enormous. Our backline is not used to defend quality players like Salah, Mane and Firmino, the latter always roaming between the midfield and attack.

Would settle for a draw.

Until the disastrous referee calls last year, Ajax had the measure of Chelsea. Remember a healthy Liverpool lost to Aston Villa 7-2 earlier this season and narrowly escaped Leeds in the first match of the season.

[Cruijff]

Would be very surprised if we would pick up a win tonight. Although it seems Liverpool is weakened by some last minute developments.

Until the disastrous referee calls last year, Ajax had the measure of Chelsea. Remember a healthy Liverpool lost to Aston Villa 7-2 earlier this season and narrowly escaped Leeds in the first match of the season.

Last season Liverpool conceeded only 33 goals in 38 Premier League goals.
So far in the current season with already 13 goals their defense had to take most goals of all Premier League clubs.

Would settle for a draw.

Ajax will never settle for a draw.
It's in our club DNA there is not even a slight possibility we can play with the intention to keep it 0-0.

[Amol]

We need to play without fear. We are not Ajax of 2016 anymore.

I have a feeling that we will win today as long as ETH doesn't do something silly in the starting 11.

[Ayman]

Although Ajax have a poor record (in recent times) against English sides, 3 loses 1 draw and 1 win, there has to be a time when they exercise that jinx.

[Orange14]

Although Ajax have a poor record (in recent times) against English sides, 3 loses 1 draw and 1 win, there has to be a time when they exercise that jinx.

I think we did well against ManCity back when de Boer was trainer.

[Cruijff]

Although Ajax have a poor record (in recent times) against English sides, 3 loses 1 draw and 1 win, there has to be a time when they exercise that jinx.

I think we did well against ManCity back when de Boer was trainer.

It is easy to play with these kind of statistics when you have Stockholm 2017 against Manchester United as starting point, only take 5 and forget how Ajax was robbed against Chelski.

In the last 9 European games against English sides there also was an 1-2 win at Old Trafford, a 3-1 win against Manchester City and a 2-2 away against Manchester City.
That's not so bad (and now I don't even consider the differences in budget... in fact, it feels like for the PL sides these are terrible statistics)

[Ayman]

Strange line up. Onana, Mazroui, Schuurs, Martinez, Tagliafico, Blind, Klaassen Gravenberch, Kudus, Tadic and Neres