"We had the necessary luck yesterday (Thursday, ed.). But they say you make your own luck," Van 't Schip looked back on the away game in Norway with a grin on his face. The head coach stressed that goalkeeper Diant Ramaj was very important against Bodø/Glimt. "He kept us in the game at a few moments. It is also heartening that Kenneth (Taylor, ed.) eventually produces the winning goal."
According to Van 't Schip, the 120 minutes took a lot of energy. "We couldn't keep the ball within the team long enough and then you know you have to chase the ball a lot as well. They also just have a good team. It was a rush and we had to put all hands on deck."
Draw
Ajax were paired with Aston Villa at the draw in Nyon on Friday afternoon. Van 't Schip believes this is the strongest opponent the Amsterdam team could face. "They are currently competing in the Premier League for a Champions League ticket. Of course, with Emery, they also have an experienced coach who knows what it is like to take European prizes. "So it's going to be a very tough one."
Van 't Schip also addressed the fitness of his squad. "There are some guys who do need to be watched carefully. Brobbey suffered quite quickly and hopefully that will go away. The guys who dropped out all had issues too. Little can be said about that at this stage. Hopefully we will know more tomorrow."
AZ away
Ajax play their second match of the week in Alkmaar on Sunday afternoon. Then AZ will be the opponent at the AFAS Stadium. "That is just a very important game for us in the battle for the fourth spot," the head coach said. "We know what is at stake, but for now it is important to see which players we will start with."
