Ajax – Bodo/Glimt : Preview & Prediction
There is perhaps no greater indicator of Ajax’s poor form than their presence in the playoff round of the Europa Conference League. The Dutch giants enter this competition for the first time after finishing third in their Europa League group, and with no further silverware on the table, this represents their best chance to salvage a very difficult campaign.
They come into this clash after suffering their first Eredivisie defeat under new coach John van ‘t Schip (G9, E2), a 3-2 loss to Heerenveen last Sunday, and will now enjoy two official home games in four days. But the support of the Johan Cruyff Arena is far from a guarantee of victory when you consider that Ajax have won just two of their last nine European home games (E2, P5), as well as drawing two of their last three home games at home (G1).
As a result, Norwegian champions Bodø/Glimt can travel to Amsterdam confident of causing another upset. However, it will not be easy for Kjetil Knutsen’s side to make that dream come true, as the last time they played an official match was in December, as part of the sixth round of the Europa Conference League.
A second-place finish in their group ensured that Bodø will be present at this stage of the competition for the third consecutive season. They will certainly be looking to avoid last year’s elimination at this stage against Lech Poznań, and can at least take heart from their two previous visits to opponents from the Netherlands, with neither of those clashes ending in defeat (E2).
Players to watch: Ajax striker Chuba Akpom got back into scoring rhythm after scoring coming off the bench at the weekend, and should be confident of scoring another goal if he returns to the starting XI, having scored three goals in his team’s last two European matches (G1, P1). With former talisman Amahl Pellegrino sold over the winter, the visitors will look to Tobias Gulliksen to fill the void after scoring in two of their three most recent friendlies.
Key stat: In Ajax’s last 12 official matches, both teams have scored, while nine of those games have produced more than 3.5 total goals.
Ajax – Bodo/Glimt : Betting Tips
Ajax – Win Odds: 1.55
