Despite the fact that they played in the Champions League semi-final last season, Ajax need to play qualifiers anyway. And the obstacle on their road to the top Euro competition is PAOK. The two meet at Johan Cruijff Arena, a week after their first clash, which ended 2:2. So, who will get to the next stage? Read our Ajax vs PAOK prediction and betting tips to find out!
Ajax
They did marvelous in the Champions League last season and are hoping to achieve something similar this time as well. The trouble is that they first need to do well in the qualifiers. Their first obstacle is PAOK and if they manage to advance to the next stage, they’re gonna be faced with either APOEL Limassol or Qarabag.
The chance is high that we’ll see Ajax advancing to the next stage. First of all, they got themselves a good result in Thessaloniki last week. The score was 2:2 meaning that now it’s up to the Greek side to attack. Of course, this doesn’t mean that Ajax will fall back and defend with all they got. On the contrary, this is a team that prefers ‘total football’ and that implies a lot of rushing towards the goal.
Playing offensively usually pays off to Ajax. This team has scored at least a goal in every single match since March. And they played against some heavyweights along the way, including Real Madrid, Juventus, and Tottenham.
That said, one of our Ajax vs PAOK betting tips is going to involve goals. A lot of them… But, what should you bet on when the match outcome is concerned. Although Ajax are favorites here, we do need to discuss the form of PAOK before making a prediction.
PAOK
The Greek Super League 1 still hasn’t started yet, but PAOK did play some friendlies last month. And they did very well in those games. But, still, those weren’t competitive matches. The only competitive game they played since early May was the first part of the doubleheader with Ajax.
In that match, they did fairly okay. Considering that they’re playing against a Champions League semifinalist, the fact that they managed to score two is a big success. But, it happened in Greece, at the Stadio Toumbas, where this team is famously very tough.
This time, they’re in the Netherlands, playing at the stadium where Ajax rarely lose. So, beating them will not be easy, but PAOK will surely give their best. Actually, they have no other option but to go out and try to score as many goals as possible. But, can they actually score so much to leave Ajax in tears? Our Ajax vs PAOK prediction is that they can’t.
Team News
Ajax absentees:
- Carel Eiting (injury)
PAOK absentees:
- None
Possible Lineups
Ajax
Onana – Schuurs, Martinez, Veltman, Tagliafico – Blind, Mazraoui, van der Beek, Tadic, Ziyech – Dolberg
PAOK
Paschalakis – Fernando Varela, Jose Crespo, Léo Matos, Giannoulis – Esiti, El Kaddouri, Leo Jaba, Biseswar – Pelkas, Akpom
Ajax vs PAOK Prediction
Although Ajax don’t need to win this game to go forward in the qualifiers, they probably want to do it for their fans. And it’s gonna be a lot of them on the stands of Johan Cruijff Arena. That said, you can expect Aja to score a couple, but it won’t be surprising if PAOK manage to put away one or two as well.
Ajax vs PAOK Betting Tips
- Ajax @1.36 (UNIBET)
- BTS @1.83 (bet365)
- Over 3.5 Goals @2.38 (William Hill)