Koeman playing down Ajax’s chances

AJAX coach Ronald Koeman should be able to start with almost his strongest line-up when the Dutch champions face AC Milan in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tonight.

Koeman has taken the pressure off his young side by stating he does not expect them to win the tournament - but they certainly will give Milan a run for their money over the two legs.

The two clubs have met in two European Cup finals - Milan winning 4-1 in 1969 and Ajax 1-0 in 1995 - but it is hard to see 2003 European champions emerging from this quarter-final.

Still, the Dutch side had a comfortable weekend as they beat lowly RBC Roosendaal 4-1 in Amsterdam to stay a point clear of Feyenoord in second place in the Dutch championship race.

Milan, meanwhile, approach the match knowing that the Serie A title is slipping out of their grasp.

It seems a long time since Carlo Ancelotti’s team set a new points record at the halfway mark of the season.

Despite beating Juventus 2-1 last month, they now trail the league leaders by eight points and their hopes of winning the scudetto were dealt another blow by a 1-0 defeat at Parma at the weekend.

After the match, coach Carlo Ancelotti implied priority would now be given to European success.

“We’re disappointed by this result, but we can’t afford to dwell on it,” Ancelotti said.

“The pain of this defeat must help us in Holland. We’ve got to harness our rage.

“It’ll be a strong Milan you’ll see at the Amsterdam Arena, even if we’ve still got to check up on the conditions of Filippo Inzaghi and Andriy Shevchenko.”

Although Ajax are also eight points behind Dutch league leaders PSV Eindhoven, Koeman is more than happy with his young side’s league position. He has also taken some of the pressure off them saying he does not expect them to win the Champions League this season.

But there is no doubt they will give Milan a tough time. Apart from the suspended Andy van der Meyde, Koeman has a strong squad to choose from. Three key players who sat out the weekend, Christian Chivu (rested), Hatem Trabelsi (suspended) and Zlatan Ibrahimovic (thigh injury), should all be in the starting line-up.

It will be Ajax’s first Champions League quarter-final since 1997, when they beat Atletico Madrid 4-3 on aggregate, and Koeman will probably add Jamal Akachar to his squad.

The 20-year-old Moroccan left Ajax’s youth squad a few years ago to make his living as a taxi driver, but is now back pursuing a professional career.

Reserve team coach John van’t Schip saw Akachar turning out earlier this season for Ajax’s amateur side and was so impressed he called him into the reserve squad.

During the winter break Akachar signed a professional contract, and the recent shortage of forwards because of a spate of injuries has forced Koeman into considering his inclusion in the squad.

Ajax possess only one real centre forward with Jari Litmanen, Wamberto and Victor Sikora still out injured, while Nikos Machlas and Mido Hossam have left the club.

Koeman has underlined that retaining second place in the domestic league was preferred to Champions League success, because he did not expect his young side to win the prestigious competition.

Ajax (probable): Lobont; Trabelsi, Chivu, Pasanen, O'Brien; de Jong, Galasek, Pienaar, Maxwell; Van der Vaart, Ibrahimovic.

AC Milan (probable): Dida; Simic, Nesta, Maldini, Costacurta; Rui Costa, Gattuso, Pirlo, Seedorf; Inzaghi, Shevchenko.

Referee: Terje Hauge (Norway)