Two of European football’s greatest champions face off in this year’s Champions League this week. Ajax welcome Liverpool at the Johan Cruyff Stadium this Wednesday in their Group D encounter. The match kickoffs at 8 pm.
Both sides lifted the famous trophy ten times in both their histories and this year presents. This will mark their first time both sides have met against each other for 54 years. The last meeting between the sides dates back to the 1966-67 season. Both sides have not yet been crowned European champions yet.
Ajax recorded a 7-3 win on aggregate against Liverpool to reach the quarter-final with Johan Cruyff. The win saw the stadium named after the Ajax legend while scoring a hat-trick during the encounters.
If a goal-laden is anything to go by, Liverpool is on the receiving following a 7-2 loss to Aston Villa. The side will be coming off a disappointing Meyerside Derby with a 2-2 draw to Everton. A last-minute header by Lewin settled the scores at Goodison Park.
The match saw the ACL injury of defender Van Dijk after a nasty tackle from goalkeeper Pickford. The defender looks set to remain on the sidelines for up to seven to eight months. It presents a big blow for Jurgen Klopp, especially after the impressive display by the defender in their league winning run.
Ajax vs. Liverpool Head to Head
Both sides have not any games against each other at this stage of the competition. Here is a look at their previous encounters:
Home
Ajax 5-1 Heerenveen
FC Groningen 1-0 Ajax
Ajax 2-1 Vitesse
Ajax 3-0 RKC Waalwijk
Sparta Rotterdam 0-1 Ajax
Away
Everton 2-2 Liverpool
Aston Villa 7-2 Liverpool
Liverpool 0-0 Arsenal
Liverpool 3-1 Arsenal
Lincoln City 2-7 Liverpool
Ajax Team News
Ajax head into the match without any injury concerns so far in the league. They welcome back left-winger Quincy Promes and Antony after starting on the bench during their encounter against Heerenveen. Tadic currently reigns 13 goals in 18 Champions League appearances.
Liverpool Team News
Klopp will contend without the services of Virgil Van Dijk for the rest of the season after an ACL injury. Fabinho might be forced to assume the center back role of Matip is not fully recovered ahead of the clash. Alex Chamberlain remains a long-term absentee for the Reds.
Prediction and Odds
We expect a close encounter for both sides, especially with the void at the back for Liverpool with their injury.
Liverpool Win
Both Teams to Score
Goals Over 2.5
