Míchel praises Ajax intensity after six-goal Conference League rout

Ajax coach Míchel Sánchez praised his players’ energy and tactical discipline after Thursday’s 6-1 Conference League victory away to FC Midtjylland. Ajax controlled much of the contest, although Míchel acknowledged that his side briefly lost its rhythm following the Danish team’s goal.

Midtjylland were reduced to ten men shortly before half-time, a moment Míchel accepted worked in Ajax’s favour. However, he placed the emphasis on how effectively his players carried out their instructions, both when pressing and when moving to escape the hosts’ pressure. “The energy was fantastic,” he told Ziggo Sport, as reported by Voetbalzone.

Tolu Arokodare led the attacking display with two goals and an assist. Yet the 25-year-old striker said he was particularly pleased to see substitute Marcos Leonardo complete the scoring. Leonardo replaced Arokodare in the 70th minute and registered his third Ajax goal before continuing to press late in the game, an effort his team-mate highlighted as evidence of a strong mentality.

Arokodare stressed that Ajax’s collective output mattered more than which forward found the net. Analyst Ronald de Boer interpreted those comments as a positive sign about the squad’s internal dynamic, particularly because Leonardo is a competitor for the striker’s position. Míchel also welcomed minutes for Leonardo, Rayane Bounida and Jofre Torrents, saying the demands of playing across three competitions would require contributions from the entire squad.