Ajax head coach John Heitinga has described Galatasaray’s Nigerian striker, Victor Osimhen, as one of the finest forwards in Europe ahead of their Champions League meeting on Wednesday
night at the Johan Cruyff Arena.
Speaking to reporters in Amsterdam, Heitinga said Ajax must find a way to keep Osimhen quiet if they hope to revive their campaign.
“I can compare Osimhen to Didier Drogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic,” the Dutch manager said.
“He is both very strong and fast. His physique is also very good. We need to pay attention to him. In my opinion, Osimhen is currently Galatasaray’s best player.”
Heitinga admitted Ajax have struggled for form this season but believes playing at home could lift his players’ confidence as they look to collect their first points in the league phase of the Champions League.
“We want to see ourselves higher in the standings. I believe we will play well against Galatasaray. I hope we can score. I will feel good when we earn points,” he said.
“It’s good that we will play at home. Our fans will motivate us. Considering their previous matches, Galatasaray may look better than us. Still, I believe we have a chance.”
The coach said his technical team has carefully studied Galatasaray’s recent matches, including their impressive victory over Liverpool.
“I have watched many of Galatasaray’s matches. Galatasaray defeated Liverpool at home. There is a difference between playing away and playing at home. Still, I can say that Galatasaray is a very strong team,” Heitinga said.
He warned that his side cannot afford to lose focus against the Turkish champions.
“Galatasaray has very fast players. We must not give this team too much space. We must not lose the ball. Galatasaray generally plays better in the first half. Tomorrow will be a very good fight,” he explained.
The Ajax boss also provided an update on team fitness ahead of the clash, saying: “Kasper Dolberg returned earlier than we expected. Steven Berghuis has not returned yet. He needs a bit more time. Branco van den Boomen has also been injured for a long time. He needs to train more to return.”
Reflecting on their last meeting with Galatasaray in the Europa League, where Ajax won 2-1, Heitinga noted that both sides have since evolved.
“We will play against a very good team. We have made changes since then. The team may not be in complete harmony. Still, we need to show that we can win tomorrow’s match. We have prepared very well for tomorrow. If we are going to earn points, we need to do it tomorrow (9 p.m. tonight),” he said.
