Jagiellonia Bialystok had a particularly bad run-up to the double encounter with Ajax. The last three matches were all lost. The 4-2 defeat against Cracovia Kraków last weekend was particularly hard. The Polish media even spoke of a defensive disaster. Nevertheless, Rensch knows that the task at the Bialystok City Stadium is not that simple.
“As with every opponent, we have of course watched footage. They are simply a good team. They have fast forwards, can play good football and can press well. They may be waiting for mistakes from us to take advantage of them. We have to be on our guard.”
In recent days, the frequent rotation of Francesco Farioli has been a much-discussed topic. Shouldn’t the coach have started with his strongest line-up against NAC (2-1)? Rensch was one of the players who stayed on the bench for the full ninety minutes. He admits that he would have preferred to start.
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“You always want to play, regardless of whether you might need rest,” Rensch is honest. “The other players have that too. It is up to the coach to field players. We have no say in that. It was not nice to see us lose from the bench. We discussed it with everyone and we knew that another important match was on the program. That is against Jagiellonia Bialystok. The focus had to be on that quickly.”
In terms of focus, it seems to be going well. However, Ajax needs to do something different. Despite the frequent possession, the team created very little in Breda. Farioli expects an aggressive opponent and warned against the strong striker. Rensch also has a lot of work to do.
Where he was put to work in central defence several times last season, the defender can be found ‘normally’ at right back under Farioli. He feels comfortable there. “I play a bit more on the inside and a bit lower this season. With this trainer, the position at the back is important. That’s where you can make the difference.”
Ajax and Jagiellonia Bialystok kick off on Thursday at 8:45 PM in the Bialystok City Stadium.
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