DBasia.news – Ajax Amsterdam continue their beautiful story this season in Europe. After getting rid of Real Madrid and Juventus, Ajax stayed one step towards the final after a narrow win over Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League semi-final first leg on Wednesday (1/5) early morning Western Indonesian Time.
Despite going through the away party, De Godenzonen did not look awkward at all and even quite controlled the course of the match. Donny van de Beek’s single goal in the 18th minute became a differentiator in this match.
Responding to Ajax’s victory, Matthijs de Ligt as the team captain became the first player to speak up. He felt proud of his performance as well as the fighting spirit shown by his team-mates.
“Yes, this is indeed the first leg, but now Ajax is in a good position. Away goals are important. If you can score extra goals, it looks like it will feel better, but we have to be satisfied with the results,” De Ligt said as reported by the Goal.
“Ajax played well, especially in the first half, then Tottenham relied on long balls that were directly directed to the front lines. I and my teammates felt this match was starting to be difficult, but we continued to struggle and finally won,” added the 19-year-old player.
The victory against Tottenham was a valuable capital for Ajax, especially in the second leg which will be held on May 9, they will act as the host.
Closing the conversation, De Ligt was happy because Ajax had become an unseeded team or underdog in the Champions League this season.
“Yes, it seems like it’s better to be an underdog in the Champions League. As a result, we can perform well against Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, and Juventus. Now, you can also see that Tottenham is also a good team. Ajax must continue to fight and we prove it today,” he explained.