After the away games against Real Sociedad and AZ, Ajax suffered a defeat for the third time in a short time on Thursday. In a match in which coach Francesco Farioli’s team had plenty of opportunities to win, opponent Lazio Roma showed themselves to be a lot more efficient in the Europa League. The Italians had three big chances, and they all hit the mark: 1-3.
That outcome was not surprising. Ajax has been looking for the form of September and October for a few weeks, when the team from Amsterdam remained unbeaten for sixteen games in a row. When first Feyenoord and then PSV were surprised with fresh, energetic football. It took Ajax to second place, both in the league and in the group stage of the Europa League.
But with the winter break in sight, Ajax regularly looks messy. Victories are no longer a given, even against smaller opponents. They won against PEC in the competition, but the Zwolle team was better. Another close victory followed against NEC. And then lost two points, last week against FC Utrecht, the number three, and last Sunday against AZ.
Lack of freshness
Farioli attributes this to a lack of freshness, he said earlier. The match against Lazio is the 27th that Ajax plays this season, not counting the five practice matches in the preparation. Especially in recent weeks, Ajax plays two matches almost every week. By making a lot of substitutions, the Italian trainer still tries to appear on the field in every match with the fittest possible team.
Against Lazio, Ajax chooses – on paper – one of the strongest line-ups, with five changes compared to the team that played against AZ. Right back Devyne Rensch is back after an injury, as is left winger Mika Godts. Controlling midfield is now veteran Jordan Henderson, who remained on the bench in Alkmaar as a precaution because he was not fully fit.
Yet even in that composition, Ajax has great difficulty with Lazio, especially with the mobility of the five-man midfield. With shadow striker Boulaye Dia, who sometimes sprints deep, while attacker Taty Castellanos moves fiercely into the ball. Should the central defenders then continue to cover, or should they go with Dia? And who follows attacking midfielders Pedro Rodriguez and Loum Tchaouna, who sometimes stand right against the axis of the field?
Lack of organization
Farioli’s team solves the problem in many cases by bringing in the backs. But the result is that Lazio has plenty of room to move up the flank from behind. On the right, the tireless Luca Pellegrini can attack undisturbed. Ajax midfielder Kenneth Taylor looks, hesitates, but lets him go. As a result, left back Jorrel Hato still has to step out and the agile Tchaouna becomes available in the center.
That lack of organization is also visible in Lazio’s first goal, which resulted from a mistake by Taylor in midfield. Defensive midfielder Nicolò Rovella immediately dives for the ball, which he delivers deep through the middle after a long dribble. From his back, Baas sees opponent Tchaouna charging, but he does not follow, after which the Frenchman is able to shoot freely in front of goalkeeper Pasveer.
Despite Lazio’s good organization, Ajax regularly has chances, perhaps more often than Lazio. Several times in the first half, center forward Brian Brobbey gets good opportunities to head in. From the right, Bertrand Traoré is often threatening. It is he who equalizes shortly after half-time: Lazio defender Luca Pellegrini manages to take his first goal attempt off the line, but Traoré’s shot is unstoppable.
That won’t take long. Lazio’s second serious chance, barely five minutes later, was immediately scored. It starts with veteran Pedro: he waits, threatens, until an Ajax defender steps in his direction. Then he sends away midfielder Mattia Zaccagni, who has come on the field a little earlier, who has become available on the left, and who gives a sharp lead. Goalkeeper Pasveer can still get his hands behind Fisayo Dele-Bashiru’s shot, but the ball has already crossed the goal line. The same Pedro determines the final score twenty minutes later, when he receives the ball from Tchouana via a clever heel. He waits, watches and then curls the ball into the intersection from about twenty meters.
No shortage of opportunities
Nevertheless, the match is not decided. Especially in the last fifteen minutes, Ajax gets one chance after another. First Traoré shoots at the crossbar, then Chuba Akpom shoots the ball straight past the goal. Just before the end, Akpom gets the chance to head in completely free, but that attempt also goes just wide. In injury time, substitutes Anton Gaaei hit the post, and then Kian Fitz-Jim just over the bar.
Afterwards, coach Francesco Farioli is convinced that his team was even the better, he says in front of the cameras present. “I think we deserved to win.” Ajax scored better than Lazio in every statistic, he says. Except in the scoring itself. The result is the first home defeat of this season, which means that Ajax now drops to 11th place in the Europa League.