Jordan Henderson is anticipating a challenging evening for Ajax on Thursday against FC RFS. "Anderlecht and Galatasaray are strong teams. If they managed to take points at home against them, you know it's going to be tough there," the Englishman stated. "Hopefully, we can achieve a good result."

The captain began by reflecting on the crucial 0-2 win against sc Heerenveen. "It was a positive match for us. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy since they were unbeaten at home this season. Our play was good from start to finish. We dominated large parts of the game."

Comfortable defending

Ajax did not have the majority of possession but still controlled the match. "Sometimes, we need to feel comfortable defending without the ball. I think that was the case on Sunday. A team can have possession, but I felt we defended them comfortably. Even though it occasionally looked dangerous with a counterattack, we did good things in possession. It was a solid game, and we didn’t concede many chances."

The team scored twice from corners in Heerenveen. "Set pieces are important and can be decisive, as we saw on Sunday. We work on them a lot in training, and we need to continue doing so—not just offensively but also defensively. A clean sheet is always nice and gives you a foundation to build on."

League standings

The gap to league leaders PSV has been reduced to just one point after the weekend. Henderson remains focused. "I keep saying it: it’s not about what other teams do. We need to focus on ourselves and on the things we can control as a team. That means working hard in training, giving everything in matches, and treating every game like a final, no matter the competition."

"Of course, it helps when rivals drop points," the midfielder added. "But the point I want to make is that whatever happens with other teams or whatever is said in the media, you can’t control it. What you can control is what you do on the training pitch, and that’s where our focus should be."

Henderson also addressed the criticism Ajax has received at times about their style of play. "There are always going to be different opinions. You can’t control what others think about you. Results, apart from one or two games, have been quite positive for most of the season. But there are still many matches to come, and a lot can change. The focus must remain on what you can control."

FC RFS away

The next match is on Thursday in Riga against FC RFS, a team that managed to draw at home against Anderlecht and Galatasaray in the UEFA Europa League. "Those are good teams, and if they picked up points against them, you know it’s going to be tough there. But European football is always a test and a challenge. Thursday will be no different. Hopefully, we can achieve a good result. If we win, we’ll be in a favourable position in the standings."