Monday was mainly dedicated to recovery and activation following last weekend’s match against sc Heerenveen (2-2), after which full attention turned to the upcoming fixture on Swiss soil.
''Yesterday we were able to train well with a large group. Some players trained separately, such as Daley Blind, Youri Regeer and Maher Carrizo. Dies Janse was able to gain match rhythm with Jong Ajax on Monday evening, and I am pleased that he has rejoined the group as well'', said Sánchez. The Spanish coach travelled to Switzerland on Wednesday afternoon with a squad of 23 Ajax players. New signing Jofre Torrents has been included in the Ajax manager’s squad.
Positives and areas for improvement
Looking back briefly at Sunday’s match, the coach sees both positives and areas that require improvement. ''On Sunday, we had good spells in possession and created chances. The first half in particular was largely positive, except for the closing stages when we were not sharp enough and conceded a goal. Beyond that, I said enough after the match and highlighted where we need to improve. But Heerenveen is, of course, a good opponent and, in that respect, it was a useful match on which to continue building. Naturally, though, I would have preferred to do so with three points in the bag.''
Sharpness and control
On Thursday, the focus will be on sharpness and control as Míchel Sánchez’s side aim to create a strong position in Switzerland ahead of next week’s return leg at home. ''We need to be more consistent in our decision-making, especially in transition. We know that mistakes are punished even more quickly in European competition, so the details have to be right.''
''We have trained well this week and the players who needed a little more rest have been given that. I expect an intense match, but we are ready to create a good position for ourselves against FC Sion. I understand that the away section is sold out once again; we will do everything we can to give our supporters a memorable evening.''
The coach is clear in his assessment of FC Sion: ''They are a team that plays with intensity, a lot of energy and strong physical presence in duels. They defend compactly and look to play forward quickly as soon as they win the ball. In transition, they have a few attacking players who can be genuinely dangerous. So we know that we cannot afford to lose concentration for a single moment. We are all fully aware of how important it is to reach the league phase.''
