Ajax vs. Benfica— Can Erik ten Hag’s Men Light Up The Champions League Again?

March 13, 2022

Benson Chikezie, Senior Author

Ajax, with their Cruijff–inspired football, have lit up the Champions League in recent seasons with an exciting brand of football that leaves fans wanting more. The Dutch champions will host Benfica at the Johan Cruijff Arena in the Netherlands for the second leg of their UCL Round of 16 encounter on the 16th of March, 01:30 IST.

The first leg in Portugal ended in a 2-2 draw, as both teams did enough on the night to blow the fixture wide open going into the second leg. Erik ten Hag will hope his side can rise to the occasion in front of their home fans, while the visitors, Benfica, have proved their mettle in the first leg and will be looking to take the game to Ajax. The fixture promises to be exciting, as both clubs have scintillating attacking talents at their disposal.

Teams Status

Take a look at the latest form and team news for Ajax Amsterdam and SL Benfica.

Ajax Form and Team News

Ajax are one of the highest-scoring teams in Europe this season, having already scored 77 goals in the Dutch Eredivisie alone. A frontline of Haller, Tadic, Antony, and others are exciting to watch on a good day, and their goal-scoring prowess explains their 5-point lead at the top of their league table.

In Europe, they had a 100% record in the group stages, winning all 6 games, and played out a 2-2 draw against Benfica in Portugal. They are on a 3-match winning run and are full of confidence going into this crucial fixture. Ivorian striker Sebastian Haller is in the form of his life with 11 goals and 2 assists in the UCL.

For injuries and suspensions, Noussair Mazraoui and Pasveer Remko will miss Benfica’s visit, and Mohammed Ihattaren is also a doubt to feature as he is yet to attain match fitness.

Benfica Form and Team News

Benfica travel to the Netherlands with a record of 1 draw and 2 wins since the 2-2 draw with Ajax. They are third in the league, 9 points behind Porto, who occupy the top spot, and 3 points behind Sporting Lisbon, who occupy the final Champions League qualification position.

Benfica boast the highest goal tally in the Primeira Liga, which makes their clash with Ajax even more exciting, as both teams are in excellent goalscoring form. In Europe, however, they have not been able to replicate that form, with only 7 goals scored in the group stages. Darwin Nunez is their top scorer with 3 UCL goals this season.

For their team news, Benfica will most likely travel without Seferovic Haris, Lucas Verissimo, Rodrigo Pinho, and Roman Yaremchuk, who have picked up knocks of various degrees.

What Do the Sportsbooks Say?

Ajax	Draw	Benfica
1.41	5.10	7.00
1.40	5.50	8.00
1.43	5.6	7.1

Ajax play at home, and based on their European campaign so far, are somewhat superior to a Benfica side that could only manage 7 goals in the group stages. Based on the information above, Ajax are strong favorites to win this fixture across all sportsbooks.

Ajax to win is placed at 1.41 odds on Sportsbet.io, a draw is 5.10 odds, and a win for Benfica is placed at 7.00 odds. The sportsbook on Parimatch places the odds for all three outcomes as: 1.40, 5.50, and 8.00, while the odds on the Paripesa sportsbook are 1.43, 5.6, and 7.1, respectively.

Tipster’s Angle

Ajax have an impeccable home record, winning all 5 of their last 5 home games, so this will be a difficult statistic for Benfica to contend with. However, the Portuguese team has a decent record away from home, with 3 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss in their last 5.

With the tie perfectly in the balance, all is set for a thrilling encounter with goal-scoring chances expected in abundance for both teams. Here are our thoughts on the possible outcomes:

Tip: Ajax To Win At Least One Half @ 1.21

Ajax have a strong home record and are firm favorites to progress to the next stage. We expect the home side to come out on top in at least one half, as they have won at least 1 half in over 20 games this season. Ajax to win at least one half is available on the Melbet sportsbook at 1.21 odds.

Tip: Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.33

The first leg ended in a 2-2 draw, as expected, and with this clash poised to be a thrilling encounter, we expect at least 3 goals to be scored in regular time. A lofty expectation, no doubt, but the goal-scoring ability of both teams lends credence to the odds of the possibility of this outcome. Over 2.5 goals is available on the Parimatch sportsbook at 1.33 odds.

Conclusion

Ajax vs. Benfica is shaping up to be an exciting game to watch, with the tie balanced at 2–2 on aggregate. Erik ten Hag will hope his team can rise to the occasion, but the visitors are capable of ending Ajax’s Champions League dream.

Benson Chikezie

16:07, 13 Mar 2022

Senior Author

Benson Chikezie

Senior Author

16:07, 13 Mar 2022

Benson Chikezie is a Nigerian-based writer with many years of experience in the sports betting industry. He is a digital marketer by profession. Benson has written many sports related contents for various websites.