Ajax vs Willem II - Eredivisie

An Ajax side eager to make amends

After four sluggish matchdays, Ajax no longer have the luxury of waiting and play a bounce-back match in front of their home crowd. The good news comes from their attack, which is firing on all cylinders with 21 goals in their last 6 matches. It's hard to imagine the Amsterdammers leaving without having added to the scoreline.

A leaky defence

The flip side is elsewhere. Across those same six matches, Ajax have only kept their goal untouched once. Even when in control, they concede, and that's precisely what leaves a door ajar for their visitors.

Willem II scoring in pain

Willem II are going through a very difficult patch, without a single win in their last five outings and a backline that has conceded 14 times in five matches. But even when struggling, they continue to find the back of the net here and there. Against a fragile Ajax defence, an opportunity could arise.

The shadow of the treatment room

Caution comes from there. Willem II have a long list of absentees, likely to dry up an already timid attack further, limited to 5 goals in five matches. If Ajax finally tighten up at the back, the scenario of a silent opponent cannot be ruled out.

The story is of an Ajax side ordered to react at home, with an attack that reassures and a defence that worries. We lean towards both teams to score: reasonable confidence in the Ajax offensive capability, more measured in Willem II's ability to convert given their injury woes. To avoid: turning this bet into a forecast for a goal-fest, the uncertainty lies with the away goal, not Ajax's.