Ajax’s demolition of Rangers FC in the Champions League last night was a message for league rivals PSV Eindhoven.
That’s according to journalist Valentijn Driessen, who believes the Dutch side’s ruthless display was a warning to their Eredivisie counterparts.
Alfred Schreuder’s side hosted Giovanni Van Bronckhorst’s Rangers in the opening game of Group A in the Champions League last night, with both looking to get their campaign off on the right foot.
Many had predicted a tight game given their run to the Europa League final last season but that did not prove to be the case.
Instead, Ajax ran out as 4-0 winners, with goals from Edson Alvarez, Steven Berghuis and Mohammed Kudus putting them 3-0 up inside 33 minutes and a strike from Steven Bergwijn making it 4-0 in the 80th minute.
It was a game in which the Dutch side dominated from start to finish, with Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side never truly in it or looking likely to get anything positive.
It was a far cry from the clash with PSV that got the Ibrox side there in the first place, and Driessen believes that was a part of Ajax’s display.
“There are evenings when everything goes right and then, without playing well, you are suddenly 3-0 ahead after half an hour and you end up with a 4-0 victory,” Ajax Showtime report him saying.
“It happened to Ajax at the start of a new season in the Champions League against Rangers FC.
“It was a nice bonus, but it was not a serious indicator for coach Alfred Schreuder’s new Ajax. The weakness of Scotland’s number two played into the hands of the Amsterdammers.
“It seemed like Ajax wanted to send a signal to PSV of: ‘this is how bad these Scots are, and this is how you put them in their place’.
“No doubt it provided extra salt in the so deep Eindhoven wounds two weeks after PSV’s totally unnecessary elimination by Rangers FC.”
