Ajax host Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday looking to seal their place in the Champions League final. Kick-off is at 8pm with Ajax leading 1-0 from the first-leg.
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Ajax took a big step towards the Champions League final last week when they came away from Tottenham with a 1-0 victory. Donny van de Beek scored the only goal of a game that Ajax dominated large parts of but had to settle for just the one away goal.
Erik ten Hag’s side that lifted the KNVB Cup on Sunday with a 4-0 win over Willem II, are now only 90 minutes away from booking their place at the final, which takes place on the 1st of June in Madrid.
Speaking to the press on Tuesday, Ten Hag said about the aftermath of the KNVB Cup win which was Ajax’s first trophy since 2014, “The players were happy, also for the fans, but you also immediately saw the look: there is another match on Wednesday. We are eager. Everyone knows what it’s about. This will be the biggest match for Ajax ever in the Johan Cruijff Arena.”
Tottenham Hotspur lost 1-0 to Bournemouth in the Premier League at the weekend but are boosted by the return of star forward Son Heung-Min.
Mauricio Pochettino knows his side have to score at least two goals to progress without extra-time and he told his press conference, “We will have to be at our best and of course have some luck.
“Ajax played very well in London in the first half hour and they deserve to be here too, no matter what happens tomorrow.”
If Ajax progress they would face Liverpool in the final after they overcame Barcelona.
Team News
David Neres was a second-half substitute in the KNVB Cup final but picked up a knock. He is expected to be fit in time to feature.
Lasse Schone and Joel Veltman were also rested for Sunday’s match but could come back into the line-up. The big question mark is whether Veltman or Noussair Mazraoui will play at right-back.
Possible Ajax line-up: Onana, Veltman, Tagliafico, De Ligt, Blind, Schone, Frenkie, Van de Beek, Neres, Ziyech, Tadic
Tottenham Hotspur welcome back Son to their starting eleven while Jan Vertonghen has travelled with the squad despite missing the loss to Bournemouth.
Harry Winks, Erik Lamela, Serge Aurier and Harry Kane are all out as well as Davinson Sanchez. Vincent Janssen is ineligible.
Possible Tottenham Line-up: Lloris, Trippier, Rose, Vertonghen, Alderweireld, Sissoko, Eriksen, Wanyama, Alli, Moura, Son
Odds
Ajax 23/20 Draw 29/10 Tottenham 17/10
Form
Ajax are currently on a six game winning streak and have only lost one of their last 17 games.
Tottenham have lost five of their last six matches and have only won one of their away games in the Champions League this season, which was 1-0 at Borussia Dortmund.
Key Battles
Son v De Ligt
Tottenham’s biggest threat at the moment missed the first leg but he will be back for the second. He showed against Manchester City in the last round how deadly he can be from the counter attack and it will be up to De Ligt to ensure he is marked out of the game.
Tottenham are pinning their hopes of a recovery on the South Korean international, so if he is kept quiet then Ajax will be favourites.
Frenkie v Sissoko
It was obvious to anyone watching that Ajax completely dominated Tottenham in the first-leg until Moussa Sissoko came onto the field for Jan Vertonghen.
From that moment the French international took charge and used his strength and mobility to get Spurs back into the game.
If Ajax are to dominate the midfield then they need to overcome Sissoko’s power and strength. Frenkie de Jong will be key to get them moving forward and behind the Tottenham defence.
How will Wednesday’s game go?
With a first-leg lead away from home, many would expect Ajax to go into this game as major favourites. However, their best performances in the Champions League knockout rounds so far have come away from home.
At the Johan Cruijff ArenA, Ajax looked dominant against Real Madrid and Juventus, but they also gave away chances and goals.
Tottenham will be relying on Son to change the game in their favour so it is crucial that Ajax can take any chances that come their way to kill of any hope that the London club could come back into the tie.
Expect a fired up home crowd to will Ajax into a quick start and it will be up to the Amsterdammers to ensure they remain on top for the ninety minutes and seal a sensational return to the Champions League final.
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As Liverpool showed last night, favorites, statistics,… do not pre-determine the outcome. One can argue predictive outcomes for a host of reasons- I’m just really looking forward to this match knowing that it certainly is within the reach of Ajax and I hope they prevail.