PSV hands out a moral slap to Ajax with Johan Cruijff Schaal’s win

Both teams seemed to regard the battle for the Johan Cruijff Scale as a must in advance. Ajax announced the match to season ticket holders as ‘a practice match’ and for PSV, the Dutch Super Cup was secondary to the upcoming meetings with AS Monaco in the qualifications for the Champions League. Nevertheless, the audience in the Johan Cruijff Arena was presented with an entertaining season opening in which PSV captured the first prize after a 5-3 victory. The PSV players chanted the name of their trainer Ruud van Nistelrooij for minutes in a row.

A week before the Eredivisie will start again, the contours of the new Ajax and the new PSV became visible. Both teams looked vulnerable, especially in the back. That will pose less of a problem in the Eredivisie than in Europe. It became clear that both Ajax and PSV could use a reinforcement in the defense. That ensured that Ajax players Steven Bergwijn, Antony and Mohammed Kudus, just like PSV players Guus Til (three times), Cody Gakpo and Xavi Simons, could distinguish themselves with goals. It was an entertaining evening, but the game wasn’t top notch. Before that, there was a lack of automatism in both teams.

Ajax and PSV got a different head coach with Alfred Schreuder and Ruud van Nistelrooij. Building a new team takes time. The selections of the champion and the cup holder have undergone a major overhaul in recent months. In addition, both Ajax and PSV brought in more money than was spent. That remains the fate of the top clubs from ‘training country’ the Netherlands.

Bergwijn and Brobbey

In Amsterdam, the technical duo sold Gerry Hamstra and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar with Lisandro Martínez (57 million euros), Sébastien Haller (31 million), Ryan Gravenberch (18 million) and Nicolás Tagliafico (4 million) for 110 million euros. Wing defender Noussair Mazraoui walked away on a free transfer, just like goalkeeper André Onana. Ajax then brought in with Steven Bergwijn (31 million euros), Calvin Bassey (21 million), Brian Brobbey (16 million), Owen Wijndal (10 million) and Francisco Conceição (5 million) for 83 million in players. Ajax would still be working on the Italian striker Lorenzo Lucca from Pisa and right back Jorge Sánchez from Mexico.

The purchase and sale policy has yielded Ajax about 27 million euros so far, but the fact that the club spent 47 million to bring back former players from its own training with Bergwijn and Brobbey must be seen as a major defeat. It can never be the intention that other clubs become rich from talents that Ajax raised itself. On the other hand, it indicates that direct progression from youth to a team that participates in the Champions League is becoming increasingly difficult. Bergwijn showed on Saturday evening, especially in the first half, that he is a reinforcement in the attack of Ajax. The way in which he cut through PSV’s shaky defense after more than fifteen minutes was impressive. But at the same time painful for PSV. Right back Ki-Jana Hoever was particularly exposed. Van Nistelrooij will have to learn from this when it visits AS Monaco on Tuesday.

As champion of the Netherlands, Ajax is already assured of the group stage of the most important European club tournament with a corresponding starting money of more than 15 million euros. Schreuder has some more time in that regard before his team has to compete internationally. Youthful talents such as Devyne Rensch and Kenneth Taylor were allowed to start against PSV from the kick-off, but will not just conquer a basic place.

Injury Madueke

In Eindhoven, Van Nistelrooij moved on as coach of Jong PSV to the first team, with whom he wants to play in the Champions League. If the Eindhoven club wants to continue to join Ajax, that is a must in both sporting and financial terms. Van Nistelrooij also has to rely on reinforcements from outside. Technical director John de Jong went through a restless summer in which he saw Ritsu Doan, Mario Götze, Eran Zahavi and Bruma leave and Walter Benítez, Luuk de Jong, Guus Til, Xavi Simons, Ki-Jana Hoever, Jarrad Branthwaite and Sávio. . With 14 million euros in income and 6 million in expenses, the balance is in any case positive. Van Nistelrooij received a hard sporting blow in the run-up to the Johan Cruijff Scale when Noni Madueke left training with a serious ankle injury. The young Briton may be sidelined until the World Cup in Qatar in mid-November. A youthful talent from his own training such as Johan Bakayoko is clearly one level less than Madueke for the time being. It turned out during the game in Amsterdam where he had a starting place. Bakayoko was substituted in the 61st minute for youngster Ismael Saibari.

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The offensive impulses came from Cody Gakpo and Guus Til. After a weak opening phase in which Ajax deservedly took the lead, Til managed to score twice with the head from a cross from Gakpo. And in the second half, Gakpo, Til and Simons made the difference with a goal each on an entertaining football evening. Calvin Bassey illustrated Ajax’s frustration by kicking PSV player Saibari on his ankle. The new addition was rightly red.