Miracles in the UEFA Champions League created by the Amsterdam team "Ajax" coach Erik ten Hag explained the reasons for the sensational victory of 2:1 against "Juventus".
The Dutch team for the first time since 1997 managed to reach the tournament semi-finals.
"I think that this night is unbelievable for the "Ajax" team, its players, and the whole country's football.
Again we have eliminated one of the tournament favorites from the Champions League, and with our philosophy, we can surpass all our possibilities.
You could see that "Juventus" was a bit afraid of us, just like Real Madrid.
It is very difficult to compete against the style of play of "Ajax" when the team's colors are defended by technically very talented footballers, and it is very tough for us to press.
Even in defense, only we know how to execute different pressure variations.
In the first match, we played well, so we maintained our confidence and patience - these traits needed to be used when "Juventus" pressed in the first half.
During the break, we talked about a more active game against Emre Can, and the wing attackers had to play higher, keeping Lasse Schone and Frenkie de Jong close.
With space opening up, we could attack, and "Juventus" had to defend. However, when the score became 2:1, we had plenty of opportunities to score.
Our battle with "Real" was similar - my players managed to score more goals than in Amsterdam. In the future, we should make better use of opportunities and decide the fate of the match earlier," the coach said.
In the semifinals, "Ajax" will play against "Man City" or "Tottenham," and ten Hag said:
"J.Guardiola has a similar philosophy to mine. If we managed to perform well against the clubs like "Real" and "Juventus," I believe we will feel confident against these teams."
