Remko Pasveer has recovered from a back injury that caused him to miss the past two league matches. Just before the match against Go Ahead Eagles, his back flared up. "After so many matches, many of which were played on very poor pitches, I think I started compensating a bit," says Pasveer, who expects to make his return against Eintracht Frankfurt. "We want to get through to the next round."

Matheus

Brazilian goalkeeper Matheus replaced Pasveer and made his debut for Ajax on Sunday against Go Ahead Eagles. "He made a good impression, he’s a nice guy and he’s eager to learn." However, there is still a language barrier, as Matheus mainly speaks Portuguese. He is taking English lessons to improve communication. "The language is still difficult for him. It’s hard to have conversations, so we mainly communicate with gestures for now. He’s really working hard on it, which is definitely impressive."

Clean sheets

Ajax has kept thirteen clean sheets in the Eredivisie this season, ten of which were credited to Pasveer. "I want to keep a clean sheet and do my job well. I certainly don’t do it alone. It’s about making sure we don’t concede goals."

He acknowledges that there’s still progress to be made. "At Ajax, you always have players who can score, so that’s already a good start. The football isn’t super attractive yet, we know that ourselves. We’re working on it, but it takes time. It’s important to first tighten up the defence and build from there. And gain the confidence to score more."

Eintracht Frankfurt

Ajax’s European journey continues: on Thursday, the Amsterdam side will play the first leg of the round of 16 in the UEFA Europa League at home. "European nights at the Johan Cruijff ArenA are always special. We want to get through to the next round. We’re going to give it our all and go for the win."

The opponent, Eintracht Frankfurt, is currently third in the Bundesliga. Pasveer expects a physically strong team. “German football is known for its physical play with a lot of intensity. We’ll see how they play on the field and try to analyse their tactical plan."