Ajax v Shelbourne: Conference League Prediction

If we listen to the talk around us, it’s clear that Ajax fans have never looked forward to a new season quite so eagerly. Thanks to Jordi Cruijff, and his father watching over from above, the Amsterdam side seem to be getting things back on track with a number of major signings. Of course, that means they’ll need to qualify for European football. The next hurdle on the road to a place in the Conference League is a club from Ireland. We’ll tell you more about this match and give you our Ajax v Shelbourne preview.

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Ajax v Shelbourne preview

Following an excellent pre-season and a fine result against Vojvodina, Ajax will be looking to run their next opponents ragged. Meanwhile, Shelbourne are dreaming of a good result against one of the biggest clubs in the history of European football. Here’s a brief look at both teams.

Current Form & Team News

Ajax

These are eventful times at Ajax. With Julian Brandt, Caio Henrique, Daley Blind, Marcos Leonardo and Julian Brandt, the club has already signed four big names. In addition, Mika Godts looks set to leave for Paris, which in turn paves the way for a return for Noa Lang. In short: the capital is witnessing a real injection of quality. And this is happening whilst talents such as Aaron Bouwman and Mohammed Ouazane are knocking emphatically on the door.

Shelbourne

The names of the brand-new Ajax players we’ve just mentioned are perhaps of Champions League calibre. Especially as we haven’t even mentioned Marc-André ter Stegen yet. The same cannot be said of Thursday evening’s opponents: Shelbourne. This Irish side has had a difficult pre-season and suffered a defeat against Waterford last weekend. As a result, The Shels are now fifth in the Irish Premier Division. This suggests that, in Shelbourne, Ajax are facing a team that sounds even less appealing than the Serbian side Vojvodina.

Head-to-Head

Ajax and Shelbourne have never played each other before, so there is nothing to report regarding the Ajax–Shelbourne head-to-head record.

Predicted line-ups

Ajax (4-3-3):

Paes, Wijndal, Blind, Bouwman, Rosa, Regeer, Klaassen, Ouazane, Gloukh, Dolberg, Berghuis

Shelbourne (4-2-3-1):

Beach, Ledwidge, Bone, Barrett, Mbeng, McInroy, Henry-Francis, Kelly, Caffrey, Coote, Freitas

Ajax - Shelbourne betting tips

Betting tip 1: Oscar Gloukh will have a shot on target

Following his hat-trick against Vojvodina, Oscar Gloukh’s confidence must be sky-high. The Israeli has shown he has a superb shot and looks set to start again against Shelbourne. We believe he will once again pose a threat in a match in which Ajax are set to dominate completely. We’re therefore backing Oscar Gloukh to have more than 0.5 shots on target. This bet will earn you odds of 1.62 at Oranje Palace.

Betting tip 2: Ajax to score more than 3.5 goals

We saw against Vojvodina that Ajax’s attacking machine is running at full throttle. They managed to score four goals in both Novi Sad and Amsterdam. On paper, Shelbourne also appear to be a side of lower quality than the Serbs. For that reason, we’re backing Ajax to score at least four goals. Over 3.5 goals for Ajax gives you odds of 2.16 at Oranje Palace.

Prediction: Ajax v Shelbourne

Final score: Ajax 4–1 Shelbourne
We’re predicting a comfortable victory for Ajax, just as they achieved previously in the Conference League. However, we do notice that Ajax always seem to let their guard down for a brief moment, giving every opponent a chance. For that reason, a 4-1 win for the Dutch record champions seems a realistic result.