Ajax secured a convincing 0-2 victory over PSV on Sunday afternoon. The solid play of the Brazilian Rosa was a prime example of the resilience shown by the Ajax squad. His importance to the team’s play was evident in his number of touches. With 60 in total, he had the most touches alongside his compatriot Matheus.
These touches were not limited to his own penalty area, as shown in the touch map above. This is also reflected in the number of chances he created. Along with Mika Godts and Steven Berghuis - both attackers in Eindhoven - Rosa created the most chances for Ajax: two. One of those chances even led to a goal, the 0-1 by Davy Klaassen. In that moment, the defender provided the assist to "Mr. 1-0" with a header.
Defensively, Rosa also stood his ground. No player recorded more tackles during PSV vs. Ajax than the Brazilian (four). Additionally, with eight duels won, he topped the list of Ajax players on the pitch.
And when it comes to defensive actions, Josip Šutalo also deserves recognition. With six ball recoveries, he was the Ajax player who won possession from a PSV player most often. But who comes right after him? That’s right - Rosa. With four ball recoveries, he once again underlined his unyielding spirit.
