Ajax are 90 minutes away from securing a spot in the Champions League final and entering the climax of what has been an entertaining fairy-tale.
The young Dutch team are carrying a 1-0 lead from London and are favourites to book a summit clash with one of Barcelona or Liverpool.
Erik ten Hag’s tactics have been on point throughout the tournament. Can he pull it off in a crunch European fixture yet again? We take a look at the tactics he could use on Wednesday.
Click here to check out Tottenham’s tactics
AN ENCORE OF THE FIRST LEG
Ajax have rarely swayed from their core philosophy, mainly because they had never required an elaborate Plan B until now. However, Donny van de Beek’s role has been noticeably different in European knockout games.
The midfielder – who usually plays much deeper – has been allowed an advanced and rather free-roaming role in Champions League fixtures. This has worked very well for the player and the team until now, with the 22-year-old impressing in all the knockout rounds.
Van de Beek sliced open Spurs’ backline in north London last week and his knack of finding pockets of space in the final third posed problems. With Haikim Ziyech and David Neres so dangerous on the wings and Dusan Tadic an equally canny player, confusion often sets in within the opposition’s final third.
MAZRAOUI PROVIDING MORE WIDTH
Spurs will be stretched, threatened with wide over-loads and attacked through quick transitions. They must also guard against the possible restoration of Noussair Mazraoui to the starting line-up, who could provide yet another attacking option down the flanks.
Joel Veltman has done an impressive job in the absence of the first-choice right-back, but the potential return of the Morocco international would provide an extra dimension to their attack.
The 21-year-old is more fluid with his passing and better at dribbling with the ball. A combination of Mazraoui and Ziyech on the right would keep Rose and the recovered Jan Vertonghen busy throughout the evening, potentially prying open bigger holes for Van De Beek and Tadic to exploit in the centre.
