Ajax Coach John Heitinga downplays 3-0 defeat
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| John Heitinga sees positives in Ajax's Champions League loss |
John Heitinga praises Ajax's discipline and courage in the first 60 minutes of their Champions League match against Galatasaray.
“You definitely feel that when you leave the pitch with a 0-3 score, you feel that it's a bit flattering,”
Ajax boss John Heitinga downplays Galatasaray loss after '60 good minutes Ajax manager John Heitinga held his head up high after his side's 3-0 Champions League loss against Galatasaray, saying Ajax played a good first hour.
Despite suffering their defeat to Galatasaray in the Champions League, Ajax manager John Heitinga remained optimistic, highlighting that his team played well for about 60 minutes.
Ajax's loss marked their fourth consecutive defeat in the Champions League, a dismal start to their European campaign. Unfortunately, this streak has put them in undesirable company, with no Dutch club having ever suffered such a poor goal difference (-12) in their first four Champions League games.
Nevertheless, manager John Heitinga spoke of a 'good' first 60 minutes against Galatasaray. “You definitely feel that when you leave the pitch with a 0-3 score, you feel that it's a bit flattering,” “I think we broke free in the second half of the first half. A few times, you played well underneath. I really have to compliment the team for having the courage and guts to play football from the back. Then they made some good choices. It resulted in a few small chances, but in the end, you're left with a bitter taste in your mouth.”
John Heitinga praised his team's performance in the first hour, saying they played with discipline and made some good choices. Although they ultimately lost 3-0, he commended the team's courage in playing football from the back and creating small chances. However, he acknowledged that the scoreline didn't reflect their efforts in the first 60 minutes.
“You definitely feel that when you leave the pitch with a 0-3 score, you feel that it's a bit flattering,” Heitinga told Ziggo Sport following the game.
"I think you play well for about sixty minutes. You play with discipline, and you make a few good saves. You don't give away much. You're comfortable in your position, and I think you play well at times.”
Galatasaray's Victor Osimhen broke the deadlock in the 59th minute, capitalizing on the Turkish side's eighth attempt on goal. By the 61st minute, Galatasaray had already accumulated an expected goals (xG) value of 0.82, starkly contrasting with Ajax's paltry 0.18xG in the opening 60 minutes. In fact, Ajax's first shot of the game didn't come until the 33rd minute, courtesy of Jorthy Mokio, and they only managed one more attempt before halftime, courtesy of Oscar Gloukh.
“I think we broke free in the second half of the first half. A few times, you played well underneath. I really have to compliment the team for having the courage and guts to play football from the back. Then they made some good choices. It resulted in a few small chances, but in the end, you're left with a bitter taste in your mouth.”
Ajax Struggles in UEFA Champions League
Ajax is having a tough time in the UEFA Champions League, ranking 34th in shots (30), last in shots on target (7), 35th in touches in the opposition's box (55), third-to-last in passes into the final third (159), second-to-last in fast breaks (2), and last in goals scored. Wout Weghorst scored Ajax's only Champions League goal from a penalty at Stamford Bridge in their 5-1 loss to Chelsea.
There's no reason for Heitinga to panic, however.
“I think you can see, especially in the first sixty minutes and the second part of the first half, that the lads can play good football. You want to see that all the time. What I'm saying is: it really has to go the other way now,” Heitinga continued in his post-game interview.
“In any case, you have to hold on to the good things. You saw that the game was a lot more positive today. We have to stick to our game. We have to continue to develop that. It's a process that we're all in together. It's tough at the moment, but we have to shift our focus to next Sunday quickly.”
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