Ajax head to Denmark for a must-win Champions League clash against Midtjylland. Kick-off is at 8pm.
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It has been a disappointing start to the Champions League for Ajax after they lost their opening game against Liverpool in Amsterdam before drawing 2-2 in Bergamo against Atalanta. A point in Italy is a decent result, but they were 2-0 up heading into the second half.
Ajax must now win their games against Midtjylland home and away if they are to stand a decent chance of progressing from the group.
The Danish champions have lost both their games so far, 4-0 at home to Atalanta and 2-0 to Liverpool. They also sit third in their league after a 4-1 loss to Nordsjaelland at the weekend.
Ajax prepared for the game with a comfortable 5-2 victory over Fortuna Sittard at the weekend but the squad has been hit by the coronavirus.
Team News
Ajax’s squad has been rocked by a covid 19 outbreak just a day before the game. Andre Onana, Dusan Tadic, Ryan Gravenberch, Zakaria Labyad, Davy Klaassen, and Maarten Stekelenburg are all not part of a 17-man squad.
Kjell Scherpen is the only goalkeeper making the trip and the 20-year-old will make his Ajax debut.
Possible Ajax line-up: Scherpen, Mazraoui, Tagliafico, Martinez, Schuurs, Blind, Alvarez, Promes, Neres, Antony, Traore
Midtjylland have no fresh injury concerns after the weekends loss and they could name the same eleven that lost to Liverpool.
Possible Midtjylland line-up: Andersen; Andersson, Sviatchenko, Scholz, Paulinho; Cajuste, Onyeka; Dreyer, Sisto, Mabil; Kaba
Odds
Midtjylland 11/5 Draw 3/1 Ajax 21/20
Can Ajax book their first Champions League win?
Tuesday is a must-win game for Ajax and they will still be confident of doing so even with the loss of Tadic, Onana, Klaassen and Gravenberch.
Ajax’s away record in Europe under Erik ten Hag is excellent and he has plenty of talent at his disposal. The pace of Antony and David Neres, for instance, should be a big threat to Midtjylland.
The Danish side will see this game as their chance of getting a first win too, and they will be motivated to do so. However, they lack a real threat up front, and Ajax should be able to find a way through their defence.
If Ajax wants to reach the knockout rounds then this is a game they simply have to win.
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