Ajax striker Brian Brobbey admits he found life hard up against Aston Villa’s high-line and their sweeper-keeper Emiliano Martinez during Thursday’s 0-0 draw in the Europa Conference League in Amsterdam.
Ahead of the clash between two former continental kings, one pundit suggested that Ajax could cause problems to Unai Emery’s outfit by hitting the visitors on the counter-attack, and by playing quick and direct passes in behind a defensive line positioned almost in nose-bleed territory.
But while that did look like Ajax’s best route to goal during a stalemate that will not live in the memory for long, Brian Brobbey found out the hard way that – even if Aston Villa’s usually faultless offside trap malfunctions – you’ve then got to find a way past their World Cup-winning goalkeeper; the ever-outstanding Emiliano Martinez.
And that is easier said than done.
Aston Villa hold Ajax to a draw in Amsterdam
“I think I had to do quite a lot of sprints. Every time we played the ball long, the goalkeeper was there,” Brobbey tells Veronica Inside, Ajax’s top scorer seeing a number of promising bursts curtailed by Martonez’s expert positioning while forcing a fine save from the Argentine, albeit from an offside position.
Martinez also denied Kenneth Taylor with a supreme stop down to his right.
“This match was quite difficult for me, on my own up front of course,” Brobbey adds. “But I think I played a good match. (Villa) also played really high, almost on the halfway line.”
Brobbey, who turned down a reunion with Erik ten Hag at Manchester United back in 2022, did have the best chance of the night in a game in which the in-form Ollie Watkins was marshalled brilliantly by young defender Ahmetcan Kaplan.
The burly Dutch international slammed into the side netting, however, after Ezri Konsa did just about enough to put him off.
All to play for ahead of the second leg
“I think I had to cut (Konsa) off earlier so I could finish it with my right foot,” adds Brobbey, who was forced onto his left as the angle became tighter and tighter. “And I also got a push at the end.
“It’s always nice to compete against Premier League players. We can look back on this match with a lot of confidence. We have to show the same things next week.”
Emery, hoping to add to his tally of four European titles, will take on John van’t Schip’s side again in next Thursday’s return leg at Villa Park.
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