Tottenham v Ajax betting tips: Dutch aces to steal first-leg edge?
On paper a Premier League side should have the clout to see off an Eredivisie visitor on home soil, but tonight’s Champions League clash between Tottenham Hotspur and Ajax won’t be so straight-forward.
The Amsterdam outfit have been superb this season. They held Bayern Munich to a pair of draws in the group stages, before dumping out both Real Madrid and Juventus in the knockouts.
Spurs will be without Harry Kane and Son Heung-min tonight too, which makes Mauricio Pochettino’s task all the more difficult. Will the hosts take a first-leg lead, or can Ajax effectively end the tie tonight?
Match Odds
Spurs are favourites, but odds of 27/20 suggests our traders have taken note of Ajax’s prowess. The Dutch side are 2/1 outsiders, with a first-leg draw chalked up at 9/4.
Stopping Ajax scoring tonight will be a huge boost to Spurs’ chances, but the Eredivise kingpins have already netted at the Allianz Stadium, the Santiago Bernabeu and the Juventus Stadium this term. Both Teams to Score is 8/11.
As for who goes through, our footy number crunches have chalked up the Dutch side as 8/11 favourites to make a first Champions League final since 1996. Spurs are Evens to make June’s showpiece in Madrid.
Talking Tactics
Spurs boss Pochettino will have to keep one eye on Ajax’s counter-attacking qualities. The Dutch side downed both Juventus and Real Madrid with little more than 40% possession.
But the hosts can’t afford to sit back on home soil. Lucas Moura offers a more mobile service than Fernando Llorente and should get the nod up front, with Kane injured and Son suspended.
Spurs will need big games from both Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli in the support positions, while Jan Vertonghen and Moussa Sissoko should be welcome returnees tonight.
Ajax have no such injury concerns, and the Eredivisie even suspended last weekend’s fixtures to ensure the side were fully fit for this game.
Boss Erik ten Hag will go 4-3-3, with the riveting trio of Dusan Tadic, David Neres and Hakim Ziyech looking to tear Spurs apart. Barcelona-bound Frenkie de Jong will pull the strings in midfield, leaving Sissoko and Victor Wanyama to try and shut him down.
Goalscorer Odds
Moura heads up the first goalscorer betting at 4/1, ahead of Tadic at 9/2. The former Southampton man already has six goals in the competition.
There’s 15/2 about Alli bagging the opener, with set-piece king Eriksen available at 7/2 anytime. Ajax skipper Matthijs de Ligt popped up with the crucial winner in Turin, and is 16/1 anytime.
Llorente is a likely impact substitute, and can be backed at 4/1 to score last, having already done so versus Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund.
Match Info:
Where: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
When: 8:00pm
How to watch: BT Sport 2
View the latest Tottenham v Ajax odds
All odds and markets correct as of date of publication
