Preview: Chelsea take on Ajax in the Champions League
The Dutch giants travel to West London in pursuit of their first Champions League win of the season while Chelsea seek to build upon their edgy 1-0 win over José Mourinho’s Benfica in the previous round.
By Alex Roberts
Chelsea’s 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on Saturday cost Ange Postecoglou his job just over a month after being appointed. With Ajax boss Johnny Heitinga also under pressure, could they make it two for two?
Josh Acheampong is the future
The 19-year-old followed his assured performance in the 2-1 win over Liverpool up with an even better one in the victory of Forest. At a time when Chelsea’s defensive injury crisis looked to be their undoing, Acheampong grasped his chance with both hands.
Enzo Maresca took him off after 81 minutes to help get some minutes in Tosin Adarabioyo’s legs following the veteran (in terms of Chelsea) defender’s recent setback, having won 100% of his aerial duels, made six recoveries, and four interceptions.
Fellow Cobham graduate Reece James has said that the best thing for his development is to play games, and with centre-back arguably Chelsea’s weakest position, perhaps he could nail his spot down.
In desperate need of a result
Heitinga is a certified Ajax favourite, but even he will know he’s teetering dangerously close to his overdraft as his credit starts to run low. Their recent 4-0 defeat to Marseille was their worst ever in the Champions League.
Only Kazakhstani side Kairat Almaty sit below them, but at least they’ve managed to score a goal, while Ajax are one of two teams yet to register. The four-time champions look destined to fall at the first hurdle.
Domestically, it’s not going any better. Sitting in fourth, already nine points behind arch-rivals Feyenoord at the summit of the Eredivisie table and an impotent 2-0 home defeat to AZ Alkmaar on Saturday, leave little hope.
Team news
Wesley Fofana should now be available to play after picking up a concussion in Chelsea’s 2-1 win over Lincoln a few weeks back, while questions remain over whether Enzo Fernández could feature due to the knee injury he picked up while on international duty.
However, the hosts are still missing Cole Palmer (groin), Levi Colwill (ACL), Dário Essugo (thigh), Benoît Badiashile (muscle), Liam Delap (hamstring), and João Pedro (suspension).
Moisés Caicedo was brought on at half time in the win over Forest and could be called upon instead of injury-prone midfielder Roméo Lavia, meanwhile Jorrel Hato, who joined Chelsea from Ajax in the summer, will likely have to settle for a spot on the bench against his former club.
As for Ajax, left-back Owen Wijndal was taken off with a muscular problem in his side’s defeat to Marseille, with midfielder Branco van den Boomen a major doubt due to a back injury.
Striker Kasper Dolberg will also be forced to sit out with a stomach injury, meaning former Man United striker Wout Weghorst will likely start up top for the visitors.
Prediction
Long gone are the days when Ajax could compete against Europe’s best. Last time these two sides met all the way back in 2019 it ended 4-4, this time, it shouldn’t be so close. We’re going with a 2-0 Chelsea win.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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