What was the most impressive club in European football in 2018-19?

The answer is undoubtedly that the Eredivisie giants Ajax have swept across the continent by a storm of youth.

Ajax's journey in the Champions League this season can be described as radiant, with two games against Bayern Munich in the group stage, and a knockout of giants such as Real Madrid and Juventus in the knockout round to enter the Champions League semi-finals, which shows the team's toughness.

It is not easy for this group of young Ajax players who are only 25 years old on average to reach this stage of the Champions League.

With skillful and powerful attacking Ajax in the last 10 games has achieved 8 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss, in this situation in the Champions League, Ajax has a certain advantage in both form and physical strength, but the team's slow heat and lack of rich game experience are also their drawbacks.

Mourinho is no stranger to Ajax, in addition to the main centre-back Blind who played for the Red Devils last season, the two teams that met in the 2016-17 Europa League final were Ajax and Manchester United.

In the face of such a strong Ajax, it is not difficult to understand that Mourinho hid many main players including Dai Zhiwei in the 36th round of the Premier League away against Chelsea.

However, although Manchester United responded with a rotating line-up, they were already strong and scored first in the 11th minute -

Rashford sent a through pass, Ashley Young faced Kepa on the left side of the small penalty area, and the unguarded Mata fired a low shot into the net in front of the small penalty area, 1:0!

Juan Mata also became only the second player after Mark Hughes to play for Chelsea and Manchester United and find the back of the net.

Chelsea equalised in the 43rd minute when Toni Rudiger's long-range shot was narrowly saved by David De Gea and Kroos fired a shot from the left side of the six-yard box into the inside of the right-hand post to make it 1-1.

In the second half, neither team was able to change the scoreline, and the two sides shook hands – similar to Manchester United's Champions League semi-final in midweek, and Chelsea's Europa League semi-final in midweek.

In the other two games of this round, Liverpool, who also beat Huddersfield Town 5-0 in the Champions League semi-finals in midweek, and Manchester City beat Burnley by one goal.

After this round, Manchester United's lead was narrowed to three points, and with two rounds of the league remaining, it can be said that the suspense is still there.

Although Jose Mourinho led Manchester United to victory over Ajax two years ago, most of the players in the current Manchester United squad who participated in that year's Europa League final have not been included in the main squad, especially Dai Zhiwei, who is quite new to Dutch football.

Even before the game started, he specially called his younger brother Zhang Yuning, who had played in the Eredivisie, and inquired.

Jose Mourinho did not take this opponent lightly, because he knew that any team in the Champions League semi-finals had the quality to overthrow the defending champions, so he not only rested a number of key players in the Premier League at the weekend, but also deliberately fine-tuned the team's starting line-up before the first leg against Ajax.

Manchester United's starting line-up –

Goalkeeper: David De Gea

Defenders: Ricardo Pereira, Harry Maguire, Eric Bailly, Luke Shaw

Midfielders: Mesut Ozil, Kroos, Nemanja Matic

Forwards: Suso, Dai Zhiwei, Anthony Martial

Ajax starting line-up –

Goalkeeper: Onana

Defenders: Wiltman, De Ligt, Blind, Tagliafico

Midfielders: Schöne, Donny van de Beek, Frenkie de Jong

Forwards: Neres, Tadic, Hakim Ziyech

"Hey, it's kind of fun today."

Looking at Ajax, who was dressed in black and gold shoulders next to the players' tunnel, Dai Zhiwei suddenly felt a long-lost excitement in his heart.

Up to now, he has been playing in Europe for almost three and a half years, and he has been playing in the Premier League for almost two seasons.

Especially after winning all the championships this season, Dai Zhiwei is really tired.

This tiredness is not physical tiredness, but comes from the psyche, feeling like you're always repeating the same work.

In fact, this is also caused by the fact that there are no players in today's football generation who can compete with Dai Zhiwei.

The reason why Ronaldo and Messi have been able to stand at the top of football for more than ten years is that the two have been competing, running well, and both sides have not given up, so that they can get faster and faster.

And now, Dai Zhiwei has not been able to wait for an opponent who can rush to the finish line side by side with him.

That's why he was a little excited when he met this Ajax team.

This is a strange opponent!

Conquering new enemies is clearly more exciting for the current footballer.

In the early hours of the game, the two sides began a hard-to-head confrontation in midfield, and in the boos of the fans at Old Trafford, Ajax really was a newborn calf who was not afraid of tigers, and the Red Devils midfield led by Mesut Ozil, Nemanja Matic and Kroos were evenly matched, and the stadium was simply a hodgepodge of battles in midfield.

It was more than ten minutes before Manchester United at home began to gain a slight advantage.

The steal in the midfield, after getting the football, Kroos did not have any idea of dribbling the ball, it was a diagonal pass on the spot, and handed the football to Suso, who had been waiting for a long time in the middle circle.

Flashing past Tagliafico's defense, Suso took the ball two steps and passed it to Dai Zhiwei in front of him before the rest of the Ajax players could grab it.

This time, Dai Zhiwei was very comfortable with the ball, because there was a large blank virgin space in the front court at the moment, which made him feel like a dragon in the sea.

Naturally, he did not hesitate to quickly take the football towards the opponent's penalty area, and Anthony Martial, who was diagonally in front of him, was also constantly changing his position, pulling the opponent's defender.

Watching Dai Zhiwei run quickly towards his half of the court with the football, Ajax's 19-year-old captain De Ligt immediately leaned towards Dai Zhiwei.

De Ligt is not the least afraid, but very excited and expectant, and he is eager to start his own superstar by beating the brightest star in football today!

With this excitement and caution, De Ligt leaned towards Dai Zhiwei's side.

In the afterglow, I saw De Ligt throwing his legs towards him, Dai Zhiwei suddenly raised his right leg to support him on the ground while running, and at the same time lightly touched the football with his left foot, and even the person with the ball suddenly stopped from the high-speed running.

It's like, all of a sudden, from a moving picture to a still picture!

De Ligt, who was already preparing for a collision, suddenly lost the target of the collision, and after telling the body to lose the target during the move, he also lost his center of gravity.

Although De Ligt's reaction was quick and the immediate change was a sliding tackle, Dai Zhiwei seemed to have predicted his choice, and he changed direction at the same time as he just slid the shovel and successfully dodged it.

After letting De Ligt pass, Dai Zhiwei stabbed the football with his left foot, and the whole person instantly ran at high speed again.

Although it is very complicated to do, in the eyes of fans, Dai Zhiwei suddenly stopped in the middle of running, which was worthy of letting De Ligt pass, and then started again, the whole process was just a physical meal, there was no stagnation at all, and the connection flowed as he wanted.

Seeing Dai Zhiwei switching between high-speed movement and stationary so freely, Mourinho on the sidelines also shook his head.

Such a move, he had only seen in the guy in Barcelona.

However, Dai Zhiwei's physical fitness and strength are better.

After flashing past De Ligt, Dai Zhiwei was left with Blind and another defender named Wiltman, while on the other side, Anthony Martial and Tagliafico were entangled.

Two to three, although it is difficult for others, but it is an absolutely good opportunity for Dai Zhiwei.

Knowing that the opportunity was running out, Dai Zhiwei did not reduce his speed and rushed towards the joint defense of Wiltman and Blind.

Coming to the two, he suddenly turned around, and suddenly cut sideways to the top of the arc of the penalty area with the football.

Seeing Dai Zhiwei choose to cut inside, Velterman and Blind were also shocked and hurriedly ran towards the middle.

If you talk about who has the biggest threat at the front of the penalty area in today's football in the past ten years, the first 5 years are Robben, and the last 5 years are Dai Zhiwei, because both of them combine dribbling and changing direction and shooting too well!

Dai Zhiwei completely messed up the defense in the Ajax penalty area, and Martial suddenly cut into the penalty area, Tagliafico naturally continued to follow Martial closely, while Wiltman was a little careless.

However, when facing Dai Zhiwei, every minute and second of carelessness will inevitably be punished.

At the moment when Martial slashed diagonally from Wildman's side into the penalty area, Dai Zhiwei noticed that Veltman had a slight head movement, a stride, and when Blind just came to him, before he could make any defensive moves, he immediately shot at the football with a strong shot!

The ball flew towards the near corner of the goal like a rocket that suddenly exploded with a booster.

Looking at the football flying at high speed not far away, although Ajax goalkeeper Onana was ready to save, who knew that Dai Zhiwei's shot was too fast, leaving him no chance to fall to the ground.

In a hurry, Onana subconsciously stretched out his left foot to block, felt a shock on his toes, and then there was a crisp sound of "bang" behind him.

Onana, who had palpitations, turned his head to look at the football that was still rolling rapidly on the bottom line, and a layer of cold sweat broke out behind his back.

Today, Ajax's luck looks good!

"Uh......h Alas! ”

Seeing Dai Zhiwei's sudden kick shot after cutting inside, all the fans at Old Trafford involuntarily stood up from their seats, held their breath, and waited until the next moment when Dai Zhiwei's shot was blocked, and then they all hugged their heads and sighed!

However, they are not too frustrated, because they firmly believe that the new king of Old Trafford will eventually bring victory here!

While waiting for the corner, Dai Zhiwei, who was still regretful, also deliberately patted Martial on the back.

It might have been a better chance for him to pass to Anthony Martial, but in the end he couldn't resist his urge to score.

Anthony Martial didn't have any special reaction, if the ball just now was kicked by Rashford, he would definitely be full of complaints, but in fact, it was the strong team boss Dai Zhiwei, he had no opinion.

In competitive sports, weakness is the original sin. If the skills are not as good as others, what can be done?

After being shocked into a cold sweat by Manchester United's sharp counterattack, Ajax's ferocious momentum immediately shrank back quickly and returned to the intensive defense at the beginning of the game.

In any case, if a 0-0 draw can be taken away from Old Trafford, it will definitely be a result that everyone at Ajax will be very happy with.

The game once again entered a stalemate, and the scene suddenly returned to that ugly and boring tug-of-war, and time passed minute by minute in this fierce but not exciting confrontation.

Fearing away goals, Manchester United played conservatively under Jose Mourinho's arrangement, and Ajax's attacks looked like a threat, but in fact De Gea didn't even have a chance to touch the ball.

By the time the sweaty Ajax players had recovered from the onslaught of attacks, the first half had come to an end.

That's where Jose Mourinho and this Manchester United team come in, allowing the more dynamic Ajax to expend more energy and energy in the first half, and when they can't run in the second half, it's time for the Red Devils to close the net.

Ajax boss Erik ten Hag is not unaware of this, but he also knows that his only advantage over defending champions Manchester United is his youth, and if he "grinds" according to the other party's ideas, then it is like boiling a frog in warm water, and he must die.

With a bitter draw, the game entered the break, although the field was not very good, but the physical strength of the players on both sides still did not stop being consumed, and when they returned to the dressing room, the Ajax players were all out of breath and sweating.

Relatively speaking, the players on the field of Manchester United are more chicken thieves, and their physical fitness is relatively good, especially Dai Zhiwei, who sweats and does not even wet his hair.

"In the first half, we played well, although we didn't score, but at least we created chances, but we were still a little inattentive defensively, and in the second half, we had to pay attention, we didn't have any qualifications to relax in this game, as long as we let the opponent score a goal, then we will be very difficult to play."

Mourinho pounced on the tactical board as soon as he came in, and at this point, he wanted to have a break of fifteen hours instead of just fifteen minutes.

"Pay attention to the reasonable distribution of physical strength when attacking, the opponent must have the intention of consuming our physical strength, when we can't get into the penalty area, play more long-range shots, but when the opportunity appears, we must be resolute in breaking through, try to create more threatening fouls, and then seize the opportunity of set-pieces to break the deadlock as soon as possible."

"Remember!" After glancing at all the players, Mourinho finally stopped at Dai Zhiwei, who was wearing the captain's armband, and then continued: "After 65 minutes of the second half, we have to start winning the game!" ”

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