Overview of Ajax vs. Beşiktaş Football

Ajax and Besiktas are two of the biggest football teams in the Netherlands and Turkey, respectively. Ajax has a reputation as the most effective academy in Europe, with the majority of its current players being young talents who were raised in the team’s infrastructure. As a rule, they play a highly positional, attacking style of football. On the other hand, Besiktas is traditionally based on the fight and strives to play solidly and physically in defence, with rapid direct counterattacks bypassing the midfield. Each time these teams meet on the pitch, they offer a spectacular and exciting contest of tactics and willpower. Most often, Ajax, based on a fluid positional high pressing, aims to dominate the middle of the field, playing clear passes and constantly coming up with something new at the offensive stage. In return, the Razzygret and will to win over the Besiktas, relying on their experience and physical ability, often led to positional and timely violation of the Dutch plan. The teams’ numerous confrontations showed that Ajax usually wins due to its tactics. At the same time, the Besiktas can aggravate the defensive system of any team in the world.

• Match: Ajax vs Besiktas
• Match Number: Matchday 2
• Date and Time: 27 September 2024, 12:30 AM
• Venue: Johan Cruijff Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands

SWOT Analysis of Ajax Against Beşiktaş

Strengths of Ajax

The greatest strength of Ajax is their tactical flexibility and attacking creativity. Ajax are known for playing possession and high-pressing football, but they can adapt to any style of football and dominate their opponents. Their attacking strength and pace, especially by the young and dynamic players give them a decisive edge, and it would be very hard for Besiktas’ defensively-oriented team to fulfil their plan. Moreover, Ajax is famous for producing quality players from their academies, and their system allows them to deploy all youngsters with an attacking approach mindset. Finally, Ajax’s midfield strengthens its attacking play through quick transitions as well as controlling the flow of the game.

Weaknesses of Ajax

While Ajax is a strong attacking team, it has quite a few vulnerable points, especially in defence. The offensive style of play makes the team vulnerable to counter-attacks, which Besiktas may use to its advantage. Moreover, while having many young players enhances the team’s energy and emotional level, it may also contribute to a lack of experience, especially in critical situations. This may be extremely dangerous in the context of Besiktas’ home stadium, where the atmosphere is very intense.

Opportunities for Ajax

Ajax should use their speed and goal orientation to exploit Besiktas’ weak defence. First, Besiktas’ players are old, and the quick pace of the game that Ajax can maintain on their turf will be difficult for the older players to resist. Second, by pressing Besiktas’ passing attempts to play from the back, Ajax will likely force mistakes and gain good goal-scoring opportunities. Their playing to score will also make it easier to score given that Besiktas’ players use more space and leave unoccupied zones since they are physically too slow, but too well built to disrupt in tight spaces.

Threats to Ajax

The biggest threat that Besiktas may pose to Ajax is their experience.  Younger players of Ajax who are not as battle-hardened as their opponents may be thrown off by the more robust game approach of the Besiktas team. As seen against Sporting, the host team knows how to manage set pieces, with which Ajax might have some difficulty given their defence’s flaws. It will be hard for Ajax to find space for a shot because the Besiktas team is also arranged quite strongly in defence. Finally, Ajax may be lured into a physical confrontation, thus, becoming incapable of delivering their usually fluid style of play.

SWOT Analysis of Beşiktaş Against Ajax

Strengths of Besiktas

Besiktas has a good experience factor. Their team consists of quite seasoned players, most of whom have been at the club for some years and have also played in some high-pressure matches of European club football. This experience can be decisive in making them calmer and better in-game management than younger teams like Ajax.  Additionally, they are noted for putting up a solid defence, and it is challenging to penetrate their lines for a team with an attacking mindset such as Ajax. Because of their physical style of playing, their footballers are especially successful in man-on-man battles and midfield duels allowing them to disrupt their opponents’ rhythm. Lastly, the aforementioned side looks potent in set-pieces possibly scoring in dead-ball situations.

Weaknesses of Besiktas

However, Besiktas’s ageing team can be vulnerable despite being the strongest part of the team, especially against an energetically young and fast team like Ajax. Most of the key players for Besiktas have passed their peak, and the entire team may not be as fast or vigorous as Ajax’s. In addition, Besiktas tends to be more of a direct-play team, which can limit its effectiveness if a team can be organized. Being one-dimensional in its offence may allow Ajax to predict and neutralize their attack.

Opportunities for Besiktas

One of the opportunities for Besiktas to use is very poor defence of Ajax when it comes to a transition, which creates great potential for Besiktas to strike on counter-attacks while their opponents’ players are mostly up the pitch. Secondly, with their superior experience and physicality, they could also be beneficial in set-piece situations. The third, Besiktas can attack the flaws in Ajax’s possession play, which may lead to turnovers that the former team would be able to capitalize on. Finally, Besiktas’ ability to withstand pressure and then strike quickly can be one of the best ways to remind Ajax that they are playing in the Champions League for a reason.

Threats to Besiktas

Besiktas might be threatened by Ajax’s velocity and exhaustive pressing. An ageing team of Besiktas players would likely be speed-paced by their young and quick Ajax adversary. The game’s dispersal would require some time for Besiktas to settle, thereby allowing Ajax forwards to capitalize on their youth and speed. More so, pressing high and dictating possession will cause Besiktas to commit blunders in their defensive third because of the pressure. Already, Besiktas’s team is old, and some players are reportedly nursing injuries. Such conditions should limit Besiktas’s ability to withstand Ajax’s high spread of energy over the entire 90 minutes.

Prediction

Considering their current strengths, weaknesses and recent form, Ajax appears to be slightly better than Besiktas. The fast, high-pressing, and dynamic team characteristics of Ajax would render the aged and slower Besiktas team vulnerable. It cannot be guaranteed that Besiktas would play at the pace they desire due to the pressing nature of the game on the likely disadvantageous team. The quick, young talents of Ajax would exploit the pocket of spaces with their superior attacking movement during the buildup of the game. Although Besiktas remains a huge threat due to its set-piece, experience, and advantage in physicality and direct play, the team is weaker than the depth and tactical astuteness of Ajax. Close game to predict, but the pressing game and attacking fluidity may give Ajax a slight advantage, especially if they avoid playing to Besiktas’ physical battle.