Benfica vs. Ajax Betting Tips Betting Tips 24/2/2022

February 22, 2022

Benson Chikezie, Senior Author

The Estadio da Luz in Lisbon will be the venue as Benfica take on Ajax in the first leg of their UCL Round of 16 tie. Kickoff time is set for 01:30 IST on the 24th of February, 2022. The game promises to be an exciting encounter between two free-scoring teams who have had great success in front of goal this season.

Benfica comes into this game on the back of a 2-2 draw against Boavista, while Ajax travels to Lisbon after a 1-0 victory over Wilhelm II. Both teams will fancy their chances to progress to the next round, and they boast great attacking talent, which makes it an even more interesting matchup.

Teams Status

Here is the latest on the form and team news for both sides:

Benfica Form and Team News

Benfica are embroiled in a three-way league title race involving Porto and Sporting Lisbon. They lie 9 points behind Porto, who sit atop the league standings but still have an outside chance if they can keep pressure on the league leaders.

In 23 matches played, they have 16 wins, 3 draws, and 4 losses. They have scored 60 goals and conceded 22, winning 3, drawing 1, and losing 1 of their last 5 fixtures. In Europe, Benfica’s form has been average, with 2 wins, 2 draws, and 2 losses in the group stages. They scored 7 goals and conceded 9, only qualifying ahead of a poor Barcelona team. Benfica’s top scorer is Darwin Nunez.

For their team news, Benfica have three players injured and unlikely to make the matchday squad. Seferovic Haris, Almeida Andre, and Lucas Verissimo are the injured players.

Ajax Form and Team News

Ajax are in blazing form this season and sit atop the Dutch Eredivisie with 57 points from 23 games. Of their 23 league games this season, the Dutch champions have 18 wins, 3 draws, and 2 losses, scored 70 times and conceded only 5 goals.

In Europe, Ajax were one of the only 3 teams to achieve a 100% win record in the group stages— the other two being Bayern Munich and Liverpool. 6 games, 6 wins, 20 goals scored and 5 conceded is an incredible record by all standards, as they have not only been excellent going forward but also in defense.

Sebastian Haller is Ajax’s top goalscorer with 10 goals and 2 assists. For their team news, Ajax have no injuries to any member of their Champions League squad and will expect to travel to Lisbon with their full team.

What Do the Sportsbooks Say?

Benfica	Draw	Ajax
4.12	4.08	1.892
4.00	3.80	1.86
4.33	3.80	1.90

Sportsbook have placed Ajax as favorites to win this fixture over Benfica. According to the Paripesa sportsbook, Benfica to win is placed at 4.12 odds, a draw is at 4.08 odds, while Ajax to win is placed at 1.892 odds.

On the Sportsbet.io sportsbook, Benfica to win is placed at 4.00 odds, a draw is at 3.80 odds, while a win for Ajax is placed at 1.86 odds. A Benfica victory is placed at 4.33 odds on the Parimatch sportsbook, a draw is at 3.80, and a victory for Ajax is at 1.90.

Tipster’s Angle

Benfica and Ajax have 130 league goals between them already this season. While Ajax have hit the ground running in Europe this season, Benfica have performed below average in Europe this season.

Benfica should favor a more conservative approach, seeing that Ajax are firing on all cylinders at the moment. Whatever the case, here are our tips for the fixture:

Tip: Over 1.5 Goals @ 1.21

Ajax averaged over 3 goals per game in the group stages, home and away, so we expect their goal-scoring prowess to continue. Benfica are no pushovers, and although they have fired blanks in Europe on some occasions, we expect a good game filled with chances from both sides. Over 1.5 goals is available on the Melbet sportsbook at 1.21 odds.

Tip: Ajax To Win or Draw @ 1.22

Ajax are in the form of their lives now, and it will be a surprise if they do not get a win or a draw from this encounter. With the likes of Sebastian Haller and Brazilian wonderkid Antony, Ajax look the more likely of both teams to win the first leg of this encounter. Ajax to win or draw is available on the Parimatch sportsbook at 1.22 odds.

Conclusion

Benfica host in-form Ajax in their toughest test in this season’s Champions League. While the home side are a valid threat to any side any day, an Ajax victory or a draw seems to be the most likely result of this fixture. Nothing is certain in the Champions League, so we can keep our fingers crossed.

Benson Chikezie

18:46, 22 Feb 2022

Senior Author

Benson Chikezie

Senior Author

18:46, 22 Feb 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.