That said, the match against Utrecht hasn’t completely faded into the background – especially since Ajax's performance wasn't as poor as the 4–0 result might suggest. "Sunday was a tough day for all of us. Unfortunately, our good play wasn’t rewarded. The team was disappointed with the scale of the defeat. But on the other hand, we know we actually played fairly well – everything just went against us. We need to accept that it happened and learn from it."
In the days following, Farioli saw the right response from his squad on the training ground. "We've had some very good sessions. Now, just like after any other match, we have to move on from Utrecht. Whether the result was good or bad, it's always about the next match. We're ready for Sparta at home."
Injury update
Physically, too, the team is in a good place ahead of the match against the Rotterdam side, Farioli said. "A few players are still recovering, but the rest are in good shape. Youri Baas isn't fit yet, but things are going in the right direction for Remko Pasveer."
After the loss in Utrecht, the Ajax manager expects nothing less than a proper response from his team on Sunday. "The players need to be ready for the battle. Their full focus must be on the next opponent."
Respect
Farioli is also well aware of Sparta’s recent form in the Eredivisie. "They’ve been very strong in the second half of the season. Since we faced them in December, they’ve only lost twice. In the second-half-of-the-season table, they’re in third place. They deserve our respect and full attention. We’ll need to be completely ready for Sunday’s game."
