Ajax aim to repeat last season’s UCL feats
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Champions League Group H is the most wide-open group in this year’s tournament. Chelsea, Ajax, Valencia, and Lille make up the group with any of the four teams capable of progressing to the knockout round.
On Tuesday night, Ajax will host France’s Lille at the Johan Cruyff Arena as they aim to repeat last season’s Champions League feats. Erik ten Hag’s team is not the same one we saw in last season’s tournament as Ajax sold several players from that team during the offseason.
Still, Ajax are a fantastic squad and have been rampant in the Eredivisie this term. They are undefeated in five matches and average 3.8 goals scored per match. Forward Dusan Tadic has tallied five of the team’s 19 scores.
Lille have started their domestic campaign in France inconsistently. The club sold star player Nicolas Pepe in the summer taking away their biggest goal scoring threat. Lille average just 1.4 goals scored per game with Pepe now wearing an Arsenal shirt.
Ajax had to compete in the Champions League qualifying rounds just to reach the group stage. While Lille were still on holiday, Ajax entered the competition at the third qualifying round stage against Greece’s PAOK.
The Dutch team just edged past PAOK on aggregate 5-4. The playoff round was far more manageable for Ajax as they defeated APOEL 2-0 on aggregate thanks to a two-goal win at home.
Lille will hope for success in the Champions League and playing in a group that doesn’t have a clearly dominate team could play to their advantage. However, the sale of Pepe over the summer is a huge blow to their expectations of advancing into the knockout stages.
Coach Christophe Galtier will be without two players for Tuesday night’s Champions League curtain raiser. Timothy Weah and Xeka both are listed as unlikely to play in the match. Striker Victor Osimhen is set to play and goes into the match with five goals in five league games.
Ajax manager Ten Hag is without Noussair Mazraoui and Donny van de Beek. The latter is recovering from a hamstring injury suffered during the Champions League qualifying stage.
Lille have been inconsistent thus far in Ligue 1 and having sold several players over the summer along with Pepe should be doomed to a subpar night in Amsterdam. Ajax may have sold players from last season’s Champions League semi-final team, but they have rebuilt.
Ajax will pick up a victory in a low-scoring match with under 2.5 goals scored. Expect the hosts to keep a clean sheet.
Home team
Away team
Pred
Correct score
Avg. goals
Weather conditions
Coef.
Score
Live
coef.
UCL
492625
1
2 - 0
2.28
14°
1.45
1.45
4.70
7.00
-1
1
1
3 - 0(1 - 0)
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