Ajax v NEC Nijmegen: Eredivisie Prediction

On Saturday evening at 9.00 pm, a sold-out Johan Cruijff Arena will hopefully be treated to a cracking match between Ajax and NEC Nijmegen. Both teams would actually have preferred to have picked up more points, but they know full well that the season is still in its early stages. Can Ajax beat the team from Gelderland for the first time in a long while? Or will Dick Schreuder’s side put immediate pressure on their Spanish counterpart? We’ll tell you more about both teams and give you our Ajax v NEC Nijmegen prediction.

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Ajax v NEC Nijmegen preview

Will we see two debutants in the Ajax line-up who have previously played in the Premier League? And can NEC Nijmegen bounce back after a very poor start to the season? We’ll give you a brief overview of both teams before moving on to the best football betting tips.

Current Form & Team News

Ajax

Three weeks off is a long time. Especially if you’re not a big fan of the Dutch national team. Míchel, Ajax’s Spanish manager, will have found it less of a problem. As the Amsterdam side had remarkably few international players, the record champions of the Netherlands have been able to train extensively. It was notable that Yves Bissouma and Simon Adingra were in the squad. They are still waiting to make their debuts for Ajax and hope to do so against NEC. Kasper Dolberg’s injury was a major setback. The Dane suffered a serious injury whilst on international duty and will miss the rest of the season.

NEC Nijmegen

NEC Nijmegen will look back on the first block with little pleasure. Whilst they did secure a place in the Europa League, their form in the Eredivisie has been very poor so far. For example, they failed to beat teams such as SC Telstar, Excelsior and Go Ahead Eagles. This is likely down to the double fixture list and the lack of fit defenders. On the other hand, Dick Schreuder has had time during the international break to drill his playing style into the team. Will we see the results of this at the Johan Cruijff Arena?

Head-to-Head

Ajax have failed to win their last three home matches against NEC. Following the painful 0–3 defeat during Farioli’s season, last season’s fixture ended 1–1. This shows that NEC are certainly capable of giving the Amsterdam side a very tough time. Although the balance of power may be slightly different this season.

Predicted line-ups

Ajax (4-3-3):

Ter Stegen, Gaaei, Kehrer, Baas, Henrique, Mokio, Klaassen, Brandt, Tsygankov, Arokodare, Gloukh

NEC Nijmegen (3-4-2-1):

Crettaz, Storm, Schuurs, Brás, Thomas, Lebreton, Nejašmić, Kers,Tadić, Chery, Linssen.

Ajax v NEC Nijmegen betting tips

Betting tip 1: Bet Builder: Ajax to win & Both teams to score

It seems that Ajax are still the clear favourites to win this match. With odds of just 1.27, there is a great deal of confidence in the Amsterdam side. We think Ajax will win, but that NEC will also find the net. This is particularly because Ajax have yet to keep a clean sheet at home this season. ‘Ajax to win & Both teams to score’ is a Bet Builder that offers odds of 2.20.

Betting tip 2: Julian Brandt to score

Can we really ignore Julian Brandt? We don’t think so. The German has had a week off and has been able to train for two weeks to get even fitter. And that’s despite the fact that he’s already scored in three consecutive matches for Ajax. We reckon he’ll do it again against NEC. A goal from Julian Brandt will earn you odds of 2.50.

Prediction: Ajax v NEC Nijmegen

Final score: Ajax 3–2 NEC Nijmegen
We’re expecting a thrilling match in Amsterdam and are predicting a 3-2 win for Ajax. Ajax are the favourites, but they’re prone to conceding at the back. What’s more, they’ve consistently conceded four goals in their home matches against Excelsior, PSV and SC Heerenveen. We reckon the Ajax fans will have one more goal to celebrate this time round.