Ajax home game circled in red: 'My friends and family talk only about that match'

Ajax face FC Midtjylland in the Conference League next month. The tie will be a special one for North Holland goalkeeper Nordin Bakker, who joined the Danish top-flight club this season and is almost certain to feature against the Amsterdam side.

Midtjylland needed a new second-choice goalkeeper this summer after Jonas Lössl decided to end his career. The club from Herning eventually moved for Bakker, who joined from sc Heerenveen and signed a three-year contract at the MCH Arena.

So far, Bakker has yet to appear in the Danish Superliga, as expected, though he has already made his debut in the cup against Sundby BK, who were swept aside 7-0. His league debut now looks to be just around the corner.

First-choice goalkeeper Elías Ólafsson suffered a kidney injury in the closing stages of the last match before the international break against Odense BK. The Icelander played on until the end, but later needed an operation. He is expected to be out for months.

"I spoke to Elias after the match and I had not expected him to be out for so long," the 28-year-old Bakker tells Danish outlet Bold. "Three days after the match I was on holiday in the Netherlands, and I spoke to him there. He then told me how serious the injury was."

That has left Bakker with mixed feelings. "It is difficult for us. He is my friend as well, but as the second-choice goalkeeper it is now my job to replace him as well as possible," says Bakker, who believes he is similar to Ólafsson. "We are both very strong in the air at set-pieces, and I think we are both good on the goal line."

When Midtjylland host Ajax on 5 November, Bakker is likely to start. "I am really looking forward to it. I was back in the Netherlands last week, and my family and friends talk about nothing but that match."

Before then, though, Bakker knows other games come first. "I know there are many other interesting matches before then, so I have to concentrate on those first," says Bakker, who is then asked about Ajax once again anyway. "A lot of family members are coming to watch. But I have told them they must be patient."

For now, his attention is on the next fixture against FC Copenhagen. "My focus is first and foremost on the next match, against FC Copenhagen. After that, we will see where we stand," concludes the Oostknollendam native, who has also played for Almere City, FC Volendam and Beroe Stara Zagora of Bulgaria in addition to Heerenveen.