27 OCT 2020; Atalanta - Ajax; CL Group Match 2

[Orange14]

Ajax go to Bergamo off a goal fest where they put 13 in the net. Let's hope they have their shooting boots on Tuesday when they take on Atalanta. The Italian team lost to Sampdoria today 1-3 but did rest a couple of players for at least one half. Sam Lammers moved to the club over the summer and has seen some action. They also have to Oranje NT players Hateboer and de Roon. Ajax are capable of winning this game if the defense holds up.

[Cruijff]

Ajax go to Bergamo off a goal fest where they put 13 in the net. Let's hope they have their shooting boots on Tuesday when they take on Atalanta.

0-14 win.

[Orange14]

Ajax go to Bergamo off a goal fest where they put 13 in the net. Let's hope they have their shooting boots on Tuesday when they take on Atalanta.

0-14 win.

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Cruijff]

Line-up Atalanta Bergmano yesterday against Sampdoria: Sportiello; Sutalo, Palomino, Djimsiti; Depaoli, De Roon, Pasalic, Mojica; Gomez; Ilicic, Lammers.

A 1-3 home defeat for Atalanta. Marten de Roon went off injured.

[Ayman]

Even a draw isn't good enough if you think about it. By the time its the 5th/6th CL game, we will have injuries/suspensions/tired players. We have to collect maximum points if we are to go through. If Ajax are on 9 points after 4 games, then all it takes is plucking 3 from the final 2 games, that won't be easy, away to Liverpool and then home to Atalanta. I just pray they draw against each other, what boost that would be.

[Orange14]

I agree with Ayman on this. Just look at what happened last season. Ajax had enough points to go through in other groups but had bad luck in two matches.

[Orange14]

Brobbey is added to tomorrow's selection. Huntelaar is dropped along with Kenneth Taylor. J. Timber is still out injured.

Selectie Ajax

André Onana
Maarten Stekelenburg
Kjell Scherpen
Perr Schuurs
Noussair Mazraoui
Daley Blind
Lisandro Martínez
Nicolás Tagliafico
Sean Klaiber
Edson Álvarez
Davy Klaassen
Jurgen Ekkelenkamp
Ryan Gravenberch
David Neres
Antony
Dusan Tadić
Quincy Promes
Zakaria Labyad
Lassina Traoré
Brian Brobbey

[Cruijff]

A must win game indeed!

Brobbey is added to tomorrow's selection. Huntelaar is dropped along with Kenneth Taylor. J. Timber is still out injured.

Yep, no Huntelaar but Brobbey is in the squad.
If not Ten Hag but I was the coach, I would give Brobbey at least 20 Champions League minutes. Perhaps next week in Denmark, but if needed already tomorrow against Atalanta Bergamo. Why not. If the kid is good enough, he's old enough.

De Roon will be out injured.

[SPL]

KJH is not match fit.Agree Brobbey should get a few minutes. If he is in the squad then he must be considered good enough .

[Ayman]

Ajax probably will score but the lightning pace of Zapata and Gomez means there will acres of space for Atalanta to exploit. Ajax's defense needs to be tighter in this game

[Ayman]

Traore starting.

Onana, Mazraoui, Schuurs, Blind, Tagliafico, Klaassen, Gravenberch, Tadic, Antony, Traore, Neres.

[Amol]

Traore starting.

Onana, Mazraoui, Schuurs, Blind, Tagliafico, Klaassen, Gravenberch, Tadic, Antony, Traore, Neres.

I like it. Neres + Antony + Tadic switching fluidly around Traore.

[Ayman]

Traore starting.

Onana, Mazraoui, Schuurs, Blind, Tagliafico, Klaassen, Gravenberch, Tadic, Antony, Traore, Neres.

I like it. Neres + Antony + Tadic switching fluidly around Traore.

Question is, is that the tactic employed by Ten Hag?

[Manneken Pis]

Question is, is that the tactic employed by Ten Hag?

With all the respect in the world ...why not Ten Hag's tactics?

Just asking in case I missed something.

[kezme44]

1-0!!!!

[kezme44]

2-0!!!! traore!

[Ayman]

Relieved that Ajax got a 2 goal cushion going into the second half. Let's hope they build on it

[Orange14]

I can't believe how much open space there is for both teams. Ajax are taking advantage of all to passing lanes and openings but have to be careful defending. They were lucky on the one open shot that the Atalanta player skied over the goal.

[SPL]

So far so good,will just have to be careful defending. Have to say for a top Italian side they dont look special.

[kezme44]

schuurs and his lack of real speed worries me a bit. you could see that both gomez and zapata can easily get around him. let'a hope we close down spaces.

[kezme44]

that 2-0 lead didn't last long. i wonder why, with a 2-0 lead, eth didn't close down the midfield...

[kezme44]

i though this was tottenham 2.0 in the making but manage to salvage a point after all. should have won the game. i just hope antony is ok. looked like a bad injury

[Ayman]

Really concerned about Antony. Hope it's not too bad, we already lost Kudus for several months, losing Antony for a lengthy spell would be devastating.

[SPL]

I guess a draw was ok we were not as good in the 2nd half and Zapata got them back in the game.I would have moved Blind to DM and Martinez on in the 2nd half .

[Orange14]

A draw was a fair result in this game which was stretched from the beginning. I don't know why Blind was so out of position on the second Zapata goal. Both teams had chances and Ajax tried too many cute dummies in the box which did not connect. Given all the space on the pitch I am surprised that more goals were not scored. Atalanta had a couple of good chances that were skied over the crossbar. Ajax now face the Danish team for home and away matches and need to win both to at least assure third in the group. It will be an interesting return match with this Italian team in Amsterdam.

Player Ratings:

Onana (6.5) - had a couple of saves to make and did so
Tagliafico (7) - he had a good match and had to make some plays on defense which he did
Blind (6) - to me he was way out of position on the 2nd goal
Schuurs (7) - brought the ball forward with authority and did as well as he could against Zapata
Mazraoui (6) - pretty quiet match and was subbed off for Klaiber maybe because he was on a Yellow
Klaassen (7) - worked really hard all game defending well and other than two poor passes set things up well
Gravenberch (7) - very nice match on both ends
Tadic (7) - worked really hard but couldn't get a shot off; cooly dispatched the PK
Antony (7) - played a very good game and tracked back well; I hope he is not seriously injured
Traore (7.5) - great hold up play and shielded his man very well
Neres (6) - worked hard but was not a factor
Klaiber (6) - decent coming on for Mazraoui
Promes (5.5) - had some touches and that was it coming in for Neres
Labyad (NR)

Credit to the club for working hard all match long!!!!