Ajax stars get down to work in training as Dutch giants look to produce another Champions League upset against Juventus in the quarter-finals
- Ajax welcome Juventus to Amsterdam for the Champions League quarter-finals
- The Dutch giants are at home in the first leg and want to make advantage count
- In the last-16, Ajax stunned Real Madrid and knocked them out on aggregate
Ajax stars showed they are fighting fit and ready for the visit of Juventus as the Dutch giants look to spring another surprise in this season’s Champions League.
The Eredivisie league leaders have home advantage in the first leg of their quarter-final tie against Juventus and go into the contest full of confidence having knocked out holders Real Madrid in the previous round.
Having lost the first leg at home 2-1, a youthful Ajax side produced one of the club’s finest performances ever in European Cup history as they put on a dazzling 4-1 win at the Bernabeu to progress.
Ajax fans were all smiles and full of laughter as they got down to work ahead of Juventus
The Dutch giants are now looking to add another scalp to their Champions League campaign
Having stunned holders Real Madrid in the previous round, Ajax’s stars are full of confidence
Knocking out Real Madrid remains a major scalp, despite their ongoing troubles this season, but Juventus pose their own threats given they are considered one of the favourites to lift this year’s title.
The Italian side’s star man, Cristiano Ronaldo, handed them a huge boost on Tuesday as he took part in training and now looks fit to play a key role in Amsterdam.
But while Ronaldo’s return would make the Old Lady firm favourites to progress over two legs, Ajax starlet Hakim Ziyech, who scored in that 4-1 win in Madrid, firmly believes he and his team-mates can go all the way to the final.
Daley Blind (centre) and Co go into the first leg in Amsterdam as underdogs against Juventus
But spirits were high having excelled beneath the underdog tag when they went to Madrid
Lasse Schone looked relaxed on Tuesday as the players finalised their preparations for the tie
The Moroccan revealed to reporters on Tuesday ahead of the match on Wednesday that he has spoken to international team-mate and former Juventus defender Mehdi Benatia about the quarter-final match-up.
‘Benatia? I spoke to him,’ Ziyech told a press conference.
‘He likes how we are playing and in his opinion, we can beat Juve’.
Benatia spent two years at Juventus having joined in 2017 before making a switch out to the Middle East.
The Italians have already secured domestic bragging rights for another year and are determined to end their run without a Champions League title – stretching back to 1996 – with Ronaldo in their ranks.
Ajax boss Erik ten Hag added: ‘Juventus are an experienced team and can put different strategies into play. It will be another big obstacle to overcome after Bayern Munich and Real Madrid but we will play as usual and we will have to be good at reading the match.’
Despite being underdogs, Ajax’s Hakim Ziyech is convinced they have the quality to win it
Erik ten Hag’s players are top of the domestic league and have nothing to fear playing at home
The Ajax boss wants his players to follow their key principles and ask Juventus many questions