Ajax manager Erik ten Hag believes Liverpool are the best team in the world, after winning the Champions League and following it up with a Premier League title.
The Dutch boss paid the Reds this compliment in his pre-match press conference as the reigning world champions travel to Amsterdam for a clash at the Johan Cruyff Arena.
Speaking to the media the night before the game, ten Hag said he doesn’t believe Virgil van Dijk’s absence will stop Liverpool from causing Ajax serious problems.
“When you win the Champions League one year and then follow it up by winning the Premier League the next year, it shows you the are the best in the world,” he’s quoted as saying by Eurosport.
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“Virgil’s absence won’t make a difference because they always play the same, their principles remain the same. There might be a change in the quality of personnel but not the overall quality of the team.”
Ajax away from home is arguably the biggest challenge for Liverpool in the group stages of the Champions League this season, but they have lost a lot of their star players over the last two years.
It’s a completely new look team for the Dutch giants, from the star-studded squad that made it to the semi-finals in 2018, when the Reds claimed the title by beating Spurs.
The game at the Johan Cruyff Arena will kick-off tonight at 8pm as the Premier League champions hope to make a solid first impression on European football this season.