Ajax vs Brighton predictions: Seagulls to get the show back on the road
- Ajax have won only four of their 15 games in all competitions this season
- Brighton won the reverse fixture 2-0, having only one effort on target
- Recommended bet: Brighton to win
Brighton have gone off the boil recently but they are expected to claim a Europa League win away at Ajax who, by their own recent high standards, are underperforming massively.
Roberto De Zerbi saw his side extend their Premier League winless run to five with Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Everton, a result which leaves them in seventh in the English top-flight.
However, those problems are not a patch on the troubles Ajax have endured this season with the Dutch giants sitting 11th in the Eredivisie after ten games.
Back-to-back league wins at home to Volendam and Heerenveen have improved the mood somewhat at the Johan Cruijff Arena, but they are bottom of Group B in the Europa League.
Brighton were deserved 2-0 winners in the reverse fixture at the Amex two weeks ago and they will be hoping to repeat the trick as they bid to pile the pressure on group rivals Marseille and AEK Athens.
Team news
Hosts Ajax remain without first-choice goalkeeper Jay Gorter and Norwegian midfielder Sivert Mannsverk, while the match is likely to come too soon for Amourricho van Axel Dongen and Geronimo Rulli.
For Brighton, Danny Welbeck, Solly March and Julio Encisco are sidelined and Ecuadorian full-back Pervis Estupinan is not yet ready to return.
The stats
Ajax have won only four of their opening 15 games in all competitions this season, losing seven of those matches.
Ajax have managed only two clean sheets this season with both teams scoring in ten of their 15 matches.
Over 3.5 goals has been a winning bet in six of the Dutch’s sides last ten fixtures.
Brighton have won only one of their last eight matches in all competitions, although that sole success did come in a 2-0 victory against Ajax on matchday three.
Both teams have scored in 13 of Brighton’s 15 matches in all competitions this term, with ten of those games featuring four goals or more.
Prediction
Having made a bright start to the season, Brighton have taken a backwards step in recent months, especially on their travels, but they will be demanding maximum points at Ajax.
The Seagulls have taken four points from their first three Europa League matches, building on a 3-2 loss at home to AEK Athens with a 2-2 draw at Marseille and that recent win of Ajax.
With no Premier League win in five, De Zerbi will be hoping to use this fixture as a confidence booster for his troops ahead of upcoming league fixtures with Sheffield United and Nottingham Forest.
A victory would also put them in a strong position to reach the knockout stages and they should be confident they can do just that.
Ajax are playing nothing like the European force we have been accustomed to seeing in recent years and after ten games they are already 15 points off the top four in the Eredivisie.
That shows how poorly the Dutch side have been playing and, while things may soon improve, they did register only one shot on target in their 2-0 loss at Brighton a fortnight ago.
So the Seagulls, if putting their best foot forward, should have enough in reserve to claim a precious three points in the bid to qualify from Group B.
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