Champions League: 3 reasons why Ajax could cause another upset against Juventus
UEFA Champions League returned last night with the four Quarter Finalists battling their respective opponents for progressing through to the semi-finals of club football's most prestigious tournament. The other four teams will similarly battle in the first leg as Ajax hosts Juventus while Manchester United host Barcelona.
While Ajax and Juventus is arguably not the most anticipated tie tonight, there should be no doubt about the quality of the football with the Bianconeri being the hot favorites to win the tie. Obviously, Cristiano Ronaldo's return from injury is a huge boost for the Old Lady and Ajax's star would like to perform the same way they did against Real Madrid.
Ajax and Juventus will be facing for the ninth time in the prestigious tournament and the Old Lady are unbeaten in each of their last nine European matches against the Dutch side. Ajax will face an uphill battle against the Bianconeri as the quarter-final clash will be the biggest test for the players in the current Dutch side.
Both these teams lead their respective leagues but Juventus are way ahead in the Serie A. Ajax would take great heart from the fact that they already knocked out Real Madrid - the winners of the Champions League in the last three years, which helped them qualify for the Quarter Finals for the first time since the 2002/03 season.
Without further ado, let us evaluate how Ajax could cause another massive upset by defeating Juventus.
#3 Fearless football and self-belief
The current Ajax side are bold and fearless as they have demonstrated throughout the season. They are the youngest side in the tournament and showed little fear while going against the toughest of teams in the tournament. Under the tutelage of Erik ten Hag, the Dutch side has shown confidence and composure with the ball.
Ajax's style of play combines freedom with a fluidity which helps the club stick to its age old philosophy. All of their stars are performing brilliantly and don't let their heads drop, as was evident with their 3-3 draw against Bayern Munich in the group stages. Ajax are not afraid to take the fight to their opponents and have done just that throughout the season.
The self belief in the team is commendable, especially when they are dominating large phases of the match with their caliber.