Ajax have struggled in this season’s Champions League group stage, opening with a 2-0 home defeat to Inter Milan before suffering a heavy 4-0 loss at Marseille, leaving them underdogs ahead of their trip to Chelsea.

“I know the Premier League well, of course,” Ajax manager and former Premier League assistant coach, John Heitinga, told a press conference on Tuesday. “I know Chelsea’s strengths and weaknesses. They have a lot of power, a lot of speed, and their fullbacks often move into midfield positions. You have to be alert for the full 90 minutes.”

Heitinga highlighted Chelsea’s quality, noting the depth of their squad: “Just to give an example—Jorrel Hato, one of our best players at Ajax last season, is on the Chelsea bench and hardly plays. That says a lot about their quality because Jorrel was a game-changer for us.”

Reflecting on his own playing days, Heitinga added: “When I played against Chelsea with Everton, I faced players like Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard, and John Terry. These are special matches. We have to enjoy them, especially with 2,000 travelling fans.”

Despite Ajax’s early-season struggles, Heitinga insisted his team would not approach the game with a defeatist mindset. “We never go onto the pitch expecting to lose,” he said. “This is a match where the gameplan has to be strong, and it has to be executed well.”

Ajax have also faced pressure domestically. A 2-0 home loss to AZ Alkmaar on Saturday has left them fourth in the Eredivisie, nine points behind leaders Feyenoord after nine matches.

Chelsea, meanwhile, have had a mixed start to their Champions League campaign, losing 3-1 at Bayern Munich before bouncing back with a 1-0 home win over Benfica.

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