Rafael van der Vaart: ‘People laugh at me, but he really will come good at Ajax’

Rafael van der Vaart was pleasantly surprised by Ajax's emphatic 2-5 win over FC Groningen. He said so on NOS Studio Sport.

Asked whether he expected Ajax to score five, Van der Vaart replies: "No, not really." "Away to Groningen is always a bit difficult for Ajax. It was an enjoyable match to watch, with plenty of end-to-end action. In the end, it was a very important win for Ajax, because Thursday was a real disappointment."

Marcos Leonardo got another start and played well, but did not score. "Things really aren't going his way," Van der Vaart says.

Referring to the move that eventually led to Davy Klaassen's disallowed goal, Van der Vaart says: "Believe me, he's played so many matches that, when he heads a ball like that, it's normally a goal."

"Yes, people laugh at me, but I really think it'll work out," Van der Vaart says of Leonardo. "I have faith in him."

With Groningen pressing high, Marc ter Stegen kept trying to play out from the back. The German goalkeeper's approach contributed to Ajax conceding to make it 1-2 early in the second half, after Leonardo lost the ball in his own half.

"He's the experienced one, but he just kept trying to play out from the back. Ajax simply don't have the players who can turn away with an opponent at their back. At some point, as a goalkeeper, you have to conclude: we're going to play it long. But he just kept doing it."