Real Madrid returned to winning ways at the weekend and will be confident on taking firm control on Group D when Ajax visit the Bernabéu this evening. José Mourinho’s men won 1-0 away at Dinamo Zagreb in Matchday one and beat Ajax convincingly twice in the group stages last year. However Mourinho does have some selection worries ahead of the visit by the Dutch champions, Pepe and Fabio Coentrão remain sidelined with injury and Marcelo is suspended. Ricardo Carvalho returns though and will partner French youngster Raphaël Varane in central defence, whilst Álvaro Arbeloa will fill in at left-back. Also noteworthy, is the inclusion of Hamit Altintop for the first time in the squad. Ajax’s only absentee through injury is Nicolai Boelesen, so Vurnon Anita will start at left-back. Six months into his first managerial reign Frank de Boer guided Ajax to their first Eredivisie championship in seven years. In the process also securing Champions League football for the second straight season prior to the last one the Amsterdam club had to wait five long years. After Martin Jol’s resignation last December the club appointed De Boer, who then was a youth team coach, on an interim basis but positive results and external support led to a full-time appointment. From the onset De Boer outlined his vision after the 2-0 win over AC Milan at the San Siro, his first game in charge, De Boer afterwards said: “We played following the Ajax philosophy. With wingers and a real number ten and everyone did well at the job they were assigned beforehand. The wingers kept the field broad, and came in at the right times.” Compared to the last months of Jol’s reign the brand of football couldn’t be any more different, whereas under Jol at times the play was passive and direct relying much on the counter, in De Boer’s words ‘clashed with the traditional Ajax approach. A contrast to the style incorporated by De Boer which is more akin to the circulation football – passing for the back and steady build-up – inspired by his mentors Louis van Gaal and Johan Cruyff. “When it comes to playing football, movement on the field and attacking, I am close to Johan Cruyff’s philosophy,” De Boer said. “I like the 4-3-3 formation; I know you need the right players for that, but if you want to find them, then you will.” More than anything his ideological belief in Ajax has resonated to his players, reminding them every step of the way: who they were playing for and the importance of doing so. De Boer is far from a Rinus Michels – who like De Boer won the league as player and manager with Ajax – type coach, but his back to basics approach was the catalyst for Ajax’s run to their unexpected accomplishment. He ended last season with six consecutive wins, overall 13 wins in his 17 league games in charge and for that he must be commended as well as not letting the boardroom squabbles effect what was happening on the pitch. In comparison De Boer has picked up 2.41 points per game whereas Jol took 1.88 points per game. Players who looked down and out under Jol now look completely different, renewed even, in the past few months. In an interview with FIFA.com De Boer commented. “We had to ensure that the players bought into this idea again, and rid themselves of a certain apathy that was evident on the field.” “That was the feeling I had when I watched games from the stands. The full-backs rarely moved up the pitch and the centre-backs kept pumping long balls forward, when they should in fact be free to dribble if the situation calls for it, and relaunch an attack properly.” The two players who more than anything benefited from his appointment were on the fringes under Jol: Miralem Sulejmani and Christian Eriksen. Both played important roles in Ajax’s title win, Sulejmani the Serbian winger often playing on the right would cut inside with his left football. Eriksen who often played as the number 10 but more this season as a floating trequartista would balance between helping control the tempo of the game and deciding it. Much is already talked about the Dane who many compare to Michael Laudrup but it’s clear his style is more reminiscent to a young Andres Iniesta who we must forget like Eriksen idolised Laudrup. Sulejmani’s reassurance has been a notable feature under De Boer. One of the biggest criticisms of Jol’s tenure was the seldom use of wingers. Marc Overmars – now coaching at the club – was the most vocal in his criticism. One of the first players brought through by De Boer to the first team was Lorenzo Ebecilio who often played on the left flank last season and occasionally rotated with Sulejmani. This past summer Ajax brought back Derk Boerrigter – a former Ajax youth graduate – from RKC and as things stand is the first choice left winger after a spell of excellent performances and his style of play has been compared to Overmars. Both the legendary Piet Keizer and Overmars have lauded his quality and quick adeptness as well as agreeing a call-up to the Dutch national team isn’t far away. The loss of Maarten Stekelenburg to AS Roma was a blow but the two goalkeepers that will duke it out for the number one jersey can be classed as the traditional Ajax keeper in other words a ‘sweeper-keeper’. Kenneth Vermeer at the moment is in possession but Jasper Cillessen – considered one of the brightest young keepers in Holland – signed from NEC will provide stiff competition. One of the benefits of having De Boer as coach for the defence will be the amount they will learn from arguably one of Holland’s greatest left-backs as well as defender. Nicolai Boilesen, the Danish left-back, was brought through towards the end of last season as De Boer sees bright potential and he’ll no doubt improve under his tutelage. Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld provide a stable and steady central pairing and Gregory van der Wiel is unquestionably the best right-back in The Netherlands. All three are regulars with their national teams and despite their ages have already gained a wealth of experience. In midfield the signing of the reigning Dutch player of the year Theo Janssen has added the missing element to the balance De Boer craved and that is of a controlling playmaker. So far the midfield trio has looked like: Janssen, Eriksen and Siem de Jong who plays as the attacking midfielder linking up with the number nine Kolbeinn Sigþórsson. On the periphery are those that can come into the eleven and do a capable job providing De Boer with strength in depth those include: Vurnon Anita, Daley Blind, Nicolás Lodeiro, Dmitri Bulykin, Araz Özbiliz and Thulani Serero. Before the final day drama against FC Twente in the winner takes all match which Ajax triumphed 3-1, De Boer was a feature on Dutch television programme Heilig Gras, the show opened to Tom Petty’s ‘Learning to Fly’ – an aptly suited soundtrack to his first six months as coach. Already he’s earned many plaudits from his predecessors as well as from abroad in some of the Spanish media he’s been dubbed as the ‘Dutch Guardiola’ a tag he refrains from though states like his former Barça he shares the same ethos despite the gulf between their respective clubs. Another meeting with Real Madrid this season will see him lock horns with José Mourinho who was Van Gaal’s assistant when De Boer was at the Camp Nou. When the draw was made De Boer was in confident though cautious mood, it will be a difficult group to get out of but it’s not insurmountable, Ajax in the last year has matured in his vision and when last season bad tactics and nerves let them down it’s up to his players to honour the shirt and give a good account of themselves. On a long-term note De Boer can now contemplate taking the club to heights he never thought were possible, with Cruyff returning in a new look supervisory board as commissioner, Dennis Bergkamp as his assistant as well as Wim Jonk (head of football affairs and scouting), Jaap Stam and Overmars etc as coaches propagating the Michels model of individual coaching, and with Guus Hiddink on the top of the list as possible director of football the clubs future looks a lot brighter than it did last December. Real Madrid vs. Ajax Amsterdam is live on Joy Sports and AdomTV today Tuesday September 27, 2011 from 6.15pm. Kick off is at 6.45pm.