Koeman's charges come of age

With the UEFA Champions League on its winter break, uefa.com has been publishing mid-term reports on the 16 remaining challengers. One of eight clubs to have won the competition since its change of guise for the 1992/93 season, AFC Ajax are now showing signs of the form which saw them conquer Europe in 1995, no doubt aided by the confidence gained from last season's Dutch double triumph.

Story so far
The current FC Barcelona coach Louis van Gaal was at the helm seven years' ago when an Ajax side packed with home-grown talent capped a memorable campaign a 1-0 victory against AC Milan. That Viennese triumph proved that generation's zenith as the team was sold off at great profit, sparking a decline which saw the Amsterdam club drift into the continental wilderness. Now, with another young coach in charge, Ronald Koeman, Ajax are once more proving a force, as Olympique Lyonnais and Rosenborg BK learned to their cost in the first group stage this term. Ajax's home-and-away successes against Lyon proved decisive as they advanced along with Internazionale FC.

Tremendous display
The second stage draw left Ajax vying for the outsiders' tag with AS Roma in a section containing the champions of Spain and England, Valencia CF and Arsenal FC. Yet a tremendous display at the Mestalla on Matchday 7 proved that reputation counts for nothing, as only an added-time equaliser from Valencia's Miguel Angulo salvaged a draw after Zlatan Ibrahimovic's second-half opener. Ajax were not to be denied in their final outing before the winter break, Ibrahimovic and Jari Litmanen on target in a 2-1 defeat of Roma which leaves Koeman's side level on points with group leaders Arsenal, who they face home and away in February 2003.

Strengths
Koeman has tapped into the Ajax tradition by ensuring his team continue to adopt a fluid, passing game, no matter who the opponents or the personnel at his disposal. The balance in the squad means Ajax have continued to impress despite the absence of key players such as Christian Chivu, Tomáš Galásek, Rafael van der Vaart and Litmanen; youngsters Nigel de Jong, Steven Pienaar, Jelle van Damme and Petri Pasanen all proving excellent deputies.

Weaknesses
Twenty-four bookings and three red cards in eight Champions League games this term perhaps indicates that Koeman's young side can on occasion suffer a lack of experience. In addition, the absence of the sort of ruthlessness displayed by seasoned campaigners such as Manchester United FC could prove costly. Indeed, only time will tell how decisive Angulo's late, late strike was.

Key man - Zlatan Ibrahimovic
After a turbulent first season at the Amsterdam ArenA, Ibrahimovic has triggered into form after Koeman handed him the central striker role in preference to the unsettled Egyptian Mido. It did not take the charismatic young Swede Ibrahimovic long to make his mark in Europe, scoring the opening goal of the first group stage against Lyon before sealing a win with another later in the game. Three months' later he has struck on three further occasions, including goals on Matchdays 7 and 8.

Best moment so far
A veteran of the Ajax team which won the Champions League in 1995, Litmanen returned from Liverpool FC ahead of the 2002/03 season to the delight of the ArenA faithful. The Finn rolled back the years against Roma on 10 December when, ten minutes after his second-half introduction, he pounced on Ibrahimovic's cut-back and produced a magnificent curling shot into the top right-hand corner to establish what proved to be an unassailable lead.