Ajax manager, John Heitinga, has explained that their Champions League 5-1 loss to Chelsea was largely due to being reduced to ten men early in the match. Heitinga, while analysing the game, said their initial game plan was effective, but the red card changed everything.
The Dutch side faced Chelsea in their third Champions League group stage match on Wednesday night. Despite making ten changes to his starting lineup, Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea showed dominance from start to finish. Ajax were left struggling after Kenneth Taylor received a red card within the first 20 minutes.
Chelsea quickly took control of the match as Marc Guiu opened the scoring before Moises Caicedo made it 2-0. Ajax managed to pull one back through Wout Weghorst, but penalties from Enzo Fernandez and Estevao Willian widened the gap before halftime. Tyrique George sealed the win with Chelsea’s fifth goal after the break.
Speaking after the match, Heitinga said, “Our game plan was working; we made it difficult for Chelsea to break our lines. We even had a good offensive transition with Mika Godts. But the red card changed the momentum, and two penalty goals plus deflections made the score worse.”
Heitinga admitted that Chelsea were one of the best teams in the competition and praised his players for their hard work despite the numerical disadvantage. “I can’t blame the players; they fought hard under difficult circumstances,” he concluded.
