It is rare to see a final contested between teams using such utterly different approaches, and equally rare for the game to pan out so predictably. Ajax had plenty of the ball, Manchester United counterattacked and proved more ruthless in the penalty area.
The stylistic contrast was remarkable. Ajax are a possession-based side rejuvenated under their attack-minded coach, Peter Bosz, a man who greatly admired Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona side, and in transferring that template on to his young charges, was also creating something of a throwback to Ajax’s Total Football days. If Bosz was playing the role of 2010 Guardiola, José Mourinho was playing the role of, well, 2010 Mourinho. The man who repeatedly tried to frustrate that Barcelona side with resilient deep defending and sporadic counterattacking did largely the same here.
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