Dusan Tadic doubled up as Ajax secured a return to the Champions League’s knockout stages for the first time since 2005/06 with a comfortable 2-0 win at 10-man AEK Athens, but it was the Dutch giant’s youth ranks for whom plenty of attention was centred.
Frenkie de Jong, 21, is coveted by every major club in Europe and the Netherlands centre midfielder is sure to have been watched by a number of scouts at Athens Olympic Stadium.
Here’s how he got on:
STATISTICS
Assists – 0
Shots – 1
Shots on target – 0
Touches – 118
Passes – 107
Pass accuracy – 89.7%
Key passes – 1
Dribbles – 1
Dispossessed – 1
Aerials won – 1
30-SECOND REPORT
De Jong was tasked with controlling midfield at the home of the pointless Superleague Greece champions, knowing a win would mean Benfica could not overtake them in Group E no matter what they did later at floundering Bayern Munich.
An inventive chip over the top from him was wasted by Brazilian forward David Neves for the first half’s only chance of note.
Tadic then came to the fore past the hour mark.
The Serbia playmaker slotted his penalty kick down the middle after striker Marko Livaja was given a second yellow card for handball in the area. His second was placed into the bottom corner with the Athens defence in pieces.
Our boys! 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥#UCL #aekaja pic.twitter.com/iUegDngiol
— AFC Ajax (@AFCAjax) November 27, 2018
GOT RIGHT
Controlling the flow – It is no stretch to say everything went through De Jong – he had the most touches (118) and most passes (107).
Often stationed as the deepest midfielder, with Donny van de Beek and the experienced Lasse Schone either side of him, the Barcelona, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain target would regularly collect the ball off the centre-backs. Not even the chaotic scenes in the stands before kick-off – an AEK fan threw a molotov cocktail at the visiting fans – could distract him from the task at hand.
De Jong’s confidence, when either dribbling past his marker or moving it swiftly forward, meant AEK could not get a foothold.
GOT WRONG
Making it count – For all De Jong’s ability, he is still yet to register an assist for club or country this term.
Neres should have ended this drought. But this was the only moment of true invention in the 20th appearance of a 2018/19 campaign during which De Jong’s reputation has mushroomed.
He has the vision and incision to match the likes of Xavi. It’s time to step up.
YEAH! 😍
— AFC Ajax (@AFCAjax) November 27, 2018
LAST 16! ❌❌❌#UCL #aekaja pic.twitter.com/sTsZU72HaI
KEY MOMENTS
27th min CHANCE CREATED – De Jong floats into space on the edge of a packed penalty box. The only way through is to go over the top – and he duly obliges. The lofted pass is perfect, but Neres makes flimsy connection with his head and it’s an easy save for the goalkeeper Vasilios Barkas.
VERDICT
Tidy, yet not spectacular – this was the way to describe De Jong’s night in the Greek capital.
His confidence, as always, looked to be a key attribute. This was only a 51st senior Ajax appearance, but still he was their key man in possession.
Taking responsibility is obviously something he and teenage centre-back Matthijs de Ligt have no problem grasping.
In time, De Jong should wrack up the numbers to match his growing standing.
