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In the current Ajax squad, Daley Blind is one of the most experienced players. The central defender played ten matches against Chelsea as Manchester United-player, so he knows English football and what Ajax needs to do if they want to get a result tonight in London.



Two weeks ago Ajax played in the Johan Cruyff Arena against Chelsea and lost 0-1. It was a close game between Ajax and the London side, but Michy Batshuayi signed late in the game for the winning. To avoid defeat again, Blind knows what Ajax needs to do differently.

“I think that it is most important that we are keen on keeping the ball in possession”, said the Dutch defender against NOS. “In the Champions League, we have to be top level. If we have the ball, we can dictate the tempo of the game. In England, they play at a higher tempo and we must avoid to let them play that kind of match.”



Blind played between 2014 and 2018 for Manchester United and knows the way of playing in the Premier League very well, but praises Lampard for a change in that type of play. “When I think of my period at United with Mourinho and van Gaal, there were a lot of teams that played the typical kick and rush game”, analyses Blind.



“But now… Looking at how Lampard manages his team. You can see that he has a different idea of how he wants his team to act. Mostly when we play in the Arena, teams don’t dare to play with a high amount of pressure, but they did it against us. In London, we have to be prepared for anything.”

Last time in Amsterdam, some people called Ajax favorite for the win against Chelsea. But Blind said that the team never underestimated their opponent. “It was mostly what we saw in the media. It was a bit like: Chelsea didn’t buy any players, a lot of youngsters, that could be done. But that was never an issue in our group.”



“If you saw the game in Amsterdam, you saw that Chelsea is still a strong team with a lot of talented players and a coach with a clear vision. It will be tough for us at Stamford Bridge and we have to be at our highest level if we want a good result in London”, ended Blind.

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