26 SEP 2015 Ajax - Groningen Match Day 7

[Orange14]

Home to Groningen next weekend. Groningen defeated AZ 2-0 today and is one of four Dutch teams alive in Europe right now though they did lose their EL opener.

[Orange14]

Heitinga and Viergever dropped for this match.

[Cruijff]

Heitinga and Viergever dropped for this match.

That will not be fun for Heitinga...

...Viktor Fischer has his focus full on the league game against Groningen, so it seems. When he finished todays training he had no idea Ajax did draw feyemoord in the Dutch FA Cup.

[SPL]

Hope for a good game and 3 points.Younes starts with Fischer on the bench.I notice there are 6 ex Ajax playing for Groningen.Padt Burnet,Kappelhof,Lindgren, Hoesen and dear old Maduro.Not sure our old feeder club Almere have as many as that(probably why they are bottom of the Jupiler league)

I have the luxury of sky live again.

[SPL]

1-0 lovely free kick by Gudelj

[Tom_]

Unconventional way to defend a free kick... Keeper and wall on the same side? OK!

[SPL]

we look in control just need to score another couple of goals

[SPL]

Wonderful skill by Fischer for that goal

[Tom_]

Nice goal! That should be it. We attacked well this half, it's been enjoyable to watch.

[Van basten]

Mr. Fisher!

[SPL]

we dominated and given the chances we created,mainly in the 2nd half we should have won by about 5-0. Defence did not get much pressure but they are getting better as a unit and we are not letting goals in.

[Orange14]

Well it was really difficult staying awake during the first half of this match; lifeless football at its best. Fortunately an excellent free kick by Gudelj against a frozen in his place keeper gave the team the lead that it was not going give up today. A little bit of dicey defending but Cillessen was well poised to snuff out any danger; of course he was ably assisted by poor decisions on the part of Groningen attackers. Magic by Fischer late in the 2nd half sealed the points and the clean sheet tied a club record for consecutive games at home without conceding. Off to Norway mid-week for an interesting EL cup match against Molde who are managed by former ManU great Ole Gunnar-Sjoelkar.

Player Ratings:

Cillessen (7.5) - did not make a single mistake and had to handle a couple back passes that were hit too hard
Dijks (7) - solid match defensively and going forward
Riedewald (6) - loses a point for the really dreadful soft pass early in the match that should have rightfully been punished
Veltman (7.5) - handled everything that came his way in the box
Tete (7) - another excellent match; now if he could only shoot hard at the keeper
Gudelj (7) - excellent free kick but had a couple of others that were not so great
Bazoer (7) - rather mediocre first half but the passes to players breaking free in the second half were sublime
Klaassen (8) - must have run 20 km in the match; all over the field and really deserved to score a goal
Younes (6.5) - some good movement on the ball but indecisive when it came to the final decision
Milik (3) - the less said the better; seven very nice chances to shoot or pass and he only had one decent header on frame
el Ghazi (5.5) - quiet match but at least he didn't try to take on two players when he was closed down
Fischer (7) - one great strike and almost another when he zoomed past the defender
Serero (6) - good to see some quick forward passes from him in a short appearance
Schöne (6) - on late and did OK

After Molde, PSV at home!!!

[SPL]

Agree Milik was poor today.Klaassen our best player .