A DUTCH OF CLASS FROM YOUNG TEAM

YOU have to admire the way this Ajax side go about their business. When in full flow, it can be like watching the Harlem Globetrotters. The way they pass the ball has been described as ‘five-a-side’ but it is far better than that. What we saw in the first half was 11-a-side football at its very best, then a more measured performance in the second. The way these young Ajax players handled the occasion was amazing. Five of their starting line-up were 23 or under but they are so well educated that they know exactly what to do against whatever set-up they face. We witnessed a system failure from Spurs with their back three. Ajax’s two wide players, Hakim Ziyech and David Neres, played high and central and close to Dusan Tadic (above), making it three against three. Donny van de Beek showed how clever he is, while Frenkie de Jong was executing piercing passes from midfield. When they lost the ball, Ajax hunted it until they got it back. It was no fluke that they beat Real Madrid and Juventus. We saw why last night.