Ajax manager Frank de Boer has reacted angrily to claims that his side beat Manchester City because the Premier League holders performed poorly.
The Dutch champions battled back from a goal down to beat City 3-1 at the Amsterdam ArenA a fortnight ago.
De Boer has insisted that the victory was down to a dominant performance from his players and not a below-par display from Roberto Mancini's side.
He told UEFA.com: "I get tired of people who say it was because of our opponents played badly. Our players were dominating, City had no answer.
"We did not have a lot of luck against Madrid or Borussia Dortmund. We had most of the possession but failed to take the lead. You cannot afford to miss chances against that kind of team because they will present you with the bill at the end."
"Against City we played good football, in certain phases, against a top team."
City must beat Ajax in tonight's reverse fixture at the Eithad to stay alive in this season's Champions League.
