Football podcast | ‘Ajax missed a huge opportunity’ | Dutch football

The elimination of Ajax in the Champions League is the main topic in the AD Voetbalpodcast. How are the Amsterdammers going to deal with that sledgehammer blow? Certainly with the Classic on the program next Sunday. Etienne Verhoef discusses it with Mikos Gouka.

,,That sledgehammer blow from the elimination could well have an effect in the remainder of the competition”, says Gouka. ,,Benfica is no better than PSV or Ajax. PSV did not make it through Benfica in the group stage and they walked off the field thinking how that was possible. And Ajax must have thought exactly the same. The curse of Dutch clubs against Portuguese clubs.”

Yet Ajax brought this game too little to claim a victory, according to Gouka. ,,The last few weeks they conceded more goals in the competition, but this match Ajax let it go offensively. They really didn’t create enough chances. Although it was also a masterclass defending Otamendi. How good was that. I’ve never seen a defender push a striker offside.”

Classic

The next important game awaits on Sunday: the Classic. At Feyenoord, the news came out about the injury of first goalkeeper Justin Bijlow. “He has a foot injury and they are now looking into whether surgery is necessary. In that case, and there is a good chance there could be a streak through his season. That does pose a problem for Feyenoord. Orif Marciano is now the first goalkeeper, but behind it are two young keepers of 20 years. And it is no longer possible to get a transfer-free goalkeeper. So Marciano has to stay fit.”

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