Heitinga acknowledged that Ajax had given away too many opportunities. “We sometimes do not put pressure and we suffered sloppy ball loss a number of times. I am happy that we have won, but it must really be better. I also want to give Telstar a big compliment. They sometimes dared to put high pressure. Let’s not forget that we have also received many opportunities ourselves. And I am also satisfied that Wehorst scored twice. We could and have had to score more often.”
Ajax in season opening with hanging and strangling along bravest Telstar
Ajax missed the injured Josip Sutalo and Bryan Brobbey. The Japanese defender Ko Itakura was not yet employable. “Hopefully he will get his work permit soon,” said Heitinga. “Sutalo has been out for a month. He is now training without a ball but still needs it. Brobbey is a doubt for our next game against Go Ahead Eagles.”
Captain Klaassen critically on Ajax after difficult victory over Telstar
Davy Klaassen was critical of Ajax after the difficult home victory on the promoted Telstar. “We have given away far too many opportunities,” he said in the press room of the Johan Cruijff Arena. “We also got a lot of opportunities, so it just went back and forth. It seemed like a tennis match.”
18 (!) Goal attempts for Telstar, goalkeeper Ronald Koeman: ‘Quite strange that we did not score against Ajax’
Ajax missed the injured defender Josip Sutalo and left back Jorrel Hato left for Chelsea. The Japanese defender Ko Itakura, who came over from Borussia Mönchengladbach on Friday, did not participate yet. Klaassen played in the position of the departed defensive midfielder Jordan Henderson.
Ajax was defensively vulnerable against Telstar, which returned to the Eredivisie after 47 years. “We didn’t play our chances well,” said Klaassen. “The most important thing is that we have won, but I think it is clear that it should be much better. I am not worried. But we have to realize that it must be better soon. We have to reduce the opponent and keep coming up with a new attack. But now it was often not good and we had to go back.”
| Position | Team | P | GS | W | V | G | Ds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +5 | |
| 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +5 | |
| 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +4 | |
| 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +3 | |
| 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +2 | |
| 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +2 | |
| 7 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +1 | |
| 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | -1 | |
| 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | -2 | |
| 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | -2 | |
| 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | -3 | |
| 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | -4 | |
| 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | -5 | |
| 18 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | -5 |