Olympique de Marseille were at their marauding best as they demolished Ajax at the Stade Vélodrome. The last time these two teams met, they played out a thrilling and evenly matched 3-3 draw, but there would be nothing even about their reunion, as Igor Paixão led Marseille to victory.  Tactical analysis and match report by […]

The football was a welcome distraction for two clubs embroiled in off-field chaos. And perhaps there was a chance for at least one of Ajax or Olympique Marseille to start well in the Europa League, and prepare for a visit to their eternal rivals.  Tactical analysis and match report by Nick Hartland. It started with […]

Luciano Spalletti’s Napoli once again stole the show with some breathtaking attacking football. Along with their high pressing and counterattacking threat, the Italian side defeated Ajax by four goals to two and have qualified for the next round of the Champions League.  Tactical analysis and match report by Rahul Madhavan. Napoli and Ajax are two […]

Vying for the right to get into the knockout stages, Ajax stole a march on their guests. But they committed the cardinal sin of upsetting a volcano. A rupture in the fabric of the natural scene in south Italy over the summer has set off a fatal eruption to which the Dutch were a brutal […]

On home turf at the Amsterdam Arena, Ajax expected to atone for their first leg profligacy and get into the last eight of the Champions League. Their dominance of the ball, field and chances signaled a victory, but a marksman emerged from the shadows to break hearts near the death. Tactical analysis and match report […]

Ajax have flown the flag for the outsiders in the Champions League, but they locked horns with another outfit keen to throw a shock bid into the ring. What manifested was a duel that shone a light on the frail and fantastic of the Dutch champions, teeing up an enthralling second leg. Tactical analysis and […]

Ajax had nearly 65% possession and limited Lille to only three shots in the entire match. As one of those shots resulted in a goal, Lille seemed to sneak away with the win, despite an average performance. A little help from the referee put Ajax on track to equalize and even snatch the win in […]

With a ticket for post-winter Champions League football on the line, Atalanta set up smartly in a 5-3-2 / 5-2-1-2 shape that frustrated Ajax for the entire game. The Dutch were unable to crack the code and created next to nothing from open play. A late strike from supersub Luis Muriel meant Atalanta would progress […]

Ajax made some tweaks to their usual system to deal with the threat posed by Liverpool. Their 4-3-1-2 arrangement against the ball was fairly successful in limiting Liverpool’s attack, but they conceded through an unfortunate Nicolás Tagliafico own goal. Going forward, Ajax were much more direct than usual, and the quality of attacking game deteriorated […]

Valencia were, as always, tough in their way of playing and made life difficult for their opponents. Ajax’s frustrations will most likely have been down to their own inadequacies, as an electric atmosphere could not take the hosts the extra yard needed to qualify for the knockout rounds. Tactical analysis and match report by Peter […]