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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
Sport
Mark Walker

Ajax to copy Celtic and 'thunder over Rangers', claims former Dutch player

Ajax to copy Celtic and 'thunder over Rangers', claims former Dutch player

AJAX will copy Celtic and 'thunder over Rangers' when they meet in tonight's Champions League opener, according to the club's former player Jan van Halst.

Rangers open their group stages campaign with a tough trip to the Netherlands against an Ajax side who have a 100 per cent record in the Eredivisie.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst's side go into the game on a low after their 4-0 Old Firm thrashing at the weekend where their performance received heavy criticism.

And top Dutch TV pundit van Halst - a former Ajax player and manager of Twente Enschede - reckons Ajax will simply copy the Hoops and steamroll all over Rangers.

He said: "Ajax will win the match. Giovanni van Bronckhorst wants to play good football at Rangers and every now and then that works out quite well.

"But it doesn't work when they get put under any kind of sustained pressure.

"Look at the weekend. Celtic grabbed Rangers by the throat and thundered all over them.

"Rangers had no idea what to do. I can tell you that Ajax will do exactly that too. They will put Rangers under huge pressure."

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