26 SEP 2024; Ajax - Besiktas; Europa League Pool Game 1

[Orange14]

Home to the Turkish club on Thursday night. Can Farioli pull a rabbit out of a hat?

[SPL]

Baas and Brobbey return ,Weghorst and Kaplan on the bench.With 7 from our own academy all 22 and under we cannot moan about rubbish OS players. I am delighted we start with so many from our own youth ,its what we are famous for and what we need to bring us back to the top in Holland.

Game is live on TNT in UK so I can watch it on my Tv

[Amol]

We are all over them. Besiktas is pressing us, but for the most part we're able to work around the press.

And now we're up 1-0 in the 32nd minute!!

There's more goals to be had here for us.

[Orange14]

Good first half and Ajax were aware defensively. they had a couple of other half scoring opportunities, but the ball was just a bit to far. Keep this up!!

[Amol]

Stepped away to pay attention to a call I was on and missed goals 2 and 3.

Back on in the 70th minute.

[Amol]

4-0!!

Rasmussen (who knew) beats his man and crosses through a bunch of players and Godts slots it home.

[SPL]

Great win and enjoyed all 90 mins, young local kids and some experienced players .We will play stronger teams although I thought this would be one of the tougher home games.

[Orange14]

This is what European Football should be for Ajax. Totally dominating the opponent and locking down the goal so Pasveer hardly had any work to do during the game. Who would have thought that Christian Rassmussen would look like Barca's Lamine Yamal on the right wing. Had his way during his stint. Everyone was solid but for me Baas and Sutalo were tops, controlling everything that came in their direction. Fitz-Jim with the match winner in the first half and Ajax adding a pair of goals by Godts and one by Taylor in the second half to go top of the table.

Player Ratings:

Pasveer (6) - had little to do other than field some back passes and distribute the ball
Rensch (7) - pretty solid all game and kept his position well
Sutalo (8) - MOTM for me with a clinical performance at CB
Baas (7.5) - not quite up to Sutalo's performance but really close
Hato (7) - defensively solid with only a YC marring his game
Henderson (7) - some early passing miscues but settled dow to control the MF
Taylor (7) - solid game with a very nice shot for the third goal
Fitz-Jim (7.5) - really alert when the ball came to his feet and made sure he got the match winner, excellent passing as always and defensively improving
Traore (6.5) - had a shot go off the post and created a couple of other chances but his temper got the best of him late in the second half which was not good
Brobbey (5.5) - silent all night long
Godts (7.5) - clinical finishing on both of his goals and controlled the ball well
Hlynsson (6) - good to see him come of the bench and was very active defensively
van den Boomen (6) - on for Taylor and maybe should have scored when the ball came to him
Weghorst (NR) - on for Brobbey and maybe had one touch
Rassmussen (6) - had acres of space to run into and constantly beat his man, nice cross to Godts for the final goal
Akpom (NR) on late

Away to RKC on Sunday and then a trip to Prague to take on Slavia.

[Amol]

Fitz-Jim said in an interview that he watched his performance against GAE along with one of Farioli's assistants, before the game today. He realized what he was doing wrong and you saw the results today! Incredible.

[SPL]

Agree Sutalo and Baas were outstanding in defence and Fitz-Jim had a fine game.Henderson had a right go at Traore with Fitz-Jim trying to calm them down.Evidently no problems in the dressing room ,just an example of Henderson's captaincy a real harden pro and hope he keeps fit as we need this kind of leader.

[Tom_]

Nice to see them dominate the game *and* score the goals to match. How often have we seen them do themselves short in European games.

I don’t like Henderson’s personality at all, if he was playing for Feyenoord we’d all be calling him something that rhymes with banker.