Shelbourne v Ajax: Conference League Preview

On Thursday evening, Ajax will have another chance to prove themselves. And we’re talking mainly about manager Míchel Sanchez and a number of new signings. Following last week’s comfortable 3-1 victory, the Irish side still seem to have a chance, although we all know that Ajax perhaps should have won 8-1. In this article, we’ll tell you more about the return leg at Tolka Park in Dublin and give you our Shelbourne v Ajax prediction.

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Shelbourne v Ajax preview

Many Ajax fans will be keen to see how their club performs, particularly as things didn’t go entirely smoothly in their first league match. The same goes for Shelbourne, who suffered another defeat in the Premier Division. Here’s a brief look at both teams.

Current Form & Team News

Shelbourne

Following the 0–1 defeat against bottom-of-the-table Waterford, it quickly became clear that Shelbourne are not in the best of form. The 5–2 victory over Estonian side Nomme Kalju was certainly convincing, but ultimately John Russell’s side have lost their last four competitive matches. And that’s a shame, as it means they are falling further behind the places that qualify for European football. This also gradually became apparent from the touchline, as the manager lost his temper and was shown a red card.

Ajax

Before Ajax took to the pitch against PEC Zwolle last Sunday for the opening round of the Eredivisie, expectations were sky-high. Ajax were set to be champions once again, now that a breath of fresh air is blowing through the Johan Cruijff Arena. However, the first half against the Blauwvingers was probably the worst first half of the season. Ajax had goalkeeper Marc ter Stegen to thank for the fact that they didn’t go into the break 0–1 down.

Following a daft red card for a PEC Zwolle player, Ajax went on to play against ten men, after which Jorthy Mokio and Julian Brandt scored for Ajax. That said, we mustn’t underestimate the role played by Tolu Arokadare in this. Will we see him start from the kick-off at Tolka Park? It’s clear that there’s still more than enough work to be done for Ajax’s Spanish coach.

Head-to-Head

Shelbourne and Ajax have played one match against each other in the past. This took place last week, with Ajax winning 3-1. The goals were scored by Mika Godts, Owen Wijndal, Kasper Dolberg and Daniel Kelly.

Predicted line-ups

Shelbourne (5-4-1):

Beach, Norris, Ledwidge, Barrett, Bone, Mbeng, Caffrey, McInroy, Henry-Francis, Moore, Kelly

Ajax (4-3-3):

Paes, Wijndal, Blind, Bouwman, Gaaei, Mokio, Klaassen, Gloukh, Edvardsen, Leonardo, Berghuis

Shelbourne v Ajax betting tips

Betting tip 1: Ajax to win and keep a clean sheet

We saw last week that Ajax had no trouble at all against Shelbourne. The Irish side really only had one clear-cut chance, and they scored straight away. Meanwhile, Ajax created chance after chance. As Ajax’s defence conceded very little against PEC Zwolle – apart from one clear-cut chance – we expect Ajax to keep a clean sheet this time. This leads to Ajax to win and keep a clean sheet, a bet that will earn you odds of 1.83.

Betting tip 2: Under 3.5 goals

We think Ajax will once again create plenty of chances, but that it won’t be a landslide victory. Above all, many players need to build up their match fitness, whilst also taking care not to pick up any injuries. For that reason, we think Ajax will win, albeit by a narrow margin of no more than three goals. This means there will be fewer than 3.5 goals, a bet that will earn you odds of 1.81.

Prediction: Shelbourne v Ajax

Final score: Shelbourne 0–3 Ajax
As mentioned, we don’t see Ajax running into any more trouble and expect them to secure a comfortable victory. We shouldn’t really expect too much from this, as Shelbourne are simply sitting back with ten men around the penalty area. We reckon Ajax will score three times and win 3–0.