On Tuesday evening, Ajax behaved as if it were at home. The team under Erik ten Hag charged headlong into tackles, pressed the Tottenham defenders with vigour, and charged Hugo Lloris’ goal like they were drawn to it.
With his finger firmly planted on the sprint button, Ten Hag controlled his team with such intensity that it appeared as though he was using an Xbox controller.
In the first few minutes, Jan Vertonghen sought to clear the ball but right-back Joel Veltman, who had advanced all the way into the Tottenham box, slid in on him. Was it required? Not much, but Spurs’ first-half unease was caused by this kind of tenacity.
Every Ajax move exuded confidence, showing that the Dutch team does not view its participation in this year’s Champions League as the oddity that many football fans seem to believe it to be.
Matthjis de Ligt, a 19-year-old centre defender for Ajax, and Frenkie de Jong, a 21-year-old midfielder headed to Barcelona, have received all the accolades lately. However, Donny van de Beek, who is only 22 years old, is just as important to the Dutch team as his aforementioned countrymen.
The midfielder brutally dispossessed Davinson Sanchez in the opening minutes of Tuesday’s game before charging towards the goal like a man mad. He was instrumental in several of Ajax’s quick and inventive attacks during the game, but he was also frequently spotted tracking back to stop Tottenham attacks with precise tackles.
Additionally, he accomplished his mission with unwavering confidence. The Spurs defenders appeared to freeze with the rest of football, but the midfielder timed his run superbly to fool them. There was a whiff of offside. The Dutchman’s cool finish was therefore appropriate, though not before he tried to beat Lloris at just the right time.
Sissoko makes Spurs a superior team.
When Moussa Sissoko first entered the Premier League, many fans found him to be amusing. Even Tottenham supporters once had trouble taking the midfielder seriously because of his awkward stride, which betrays a clumsiness.
He has, however, emerged as a revelation this season. The Frenchman’s performance against Chelsea at Wembley in November stands out as an example of his abilities, but his greatest strength is perhaps his capacity to literally pull up his fellow midfielders’ socks.
He took control of the game for Spurs when he entered the game on Tuesday night in place of Vertonghen. He was winning duels, shooting inch-perfect crosses across the pitch, and giving Victor Wanyama, his midfield partner, a sense of security. Who would’ve guessed it?
Concussions in football are not taken seriously enough.
Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld of Tottenham collided in the opposition box with Ajax custodian Andre Onana towards the conclusion of the first half.
The two Belgian defenders were both in discomfort, but Vertonghen ultimately didn’t get better and showed signs of a concussion. In fact, the center-back appeared to be on the verge of passing out as he was assisted off the field.
Vertonghen was put back on by the Spurs medical team after they had assessed his condition, but Spanish referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz halted play when he realised that the Belgian international was still not feeling well.
In recent years, the NFL has made substantial steps to fight concussion issues, and as a result, there have been fewer diagnoses. Perhaps it’s time for football to acknowledge that the problem is global.
Tottenham are still in it.
Tottenham was out-thought and out-fought in the opening period. From the minute the game began, Ajax unnerved the north London team and capitalized with a goal from Van van Beek. However, Pochettino’s team came out of the first half looking much better.
Due to Vertonghen’s unlucky head injury, the Argentine had already been forced to substitute Sissoko, who promptly gave the best performance of any Spurs player that night. The Tottenham manager therefore decided to switch to a four-man defence.
When Tottenham travels to Amsterdam for the second leg of the match next week, these adjustments should be taken into account because they might be crucial in helping the Premier League team tie or perhaps win the match.
