Verdict: Home win
Best Odds: 4/6
Bookmaker: bet365
Ajax and Nice will play the second leg of their 2017/18 UEFA Champions League playoff tie this next Wednesday. The first leg played in France ended with a 1-1 draw, so the Dutch side have a slight edge thanks to the goal scored on away soil. Kick-off time will be at 19:45 UK time.
Ajax
Ajax might have one of the youngest teams in Europe this upcoming season, but that does not mean they lack experience. The Amsterdam Arena outfit made it to the UEFA Europa League final last season, and they are expected to take another step in their development this upcoming campaign. They lost two of their best players in Davy Klaassen and Bertrand Traore, though. Klaassen joined Everton, and Traore returned to Chelsea after his loan spell ended. However, they secured the services of an experienced striker such as Klaas-Jan Huntelaar. And it is also worth noting that Ajax have a slight edge in this tie against Nice, because the goal they scored away from home means a scoreless draw would be enough to push them through the next round.
Team News
Daley Sinkgraven, Mitchell Dijks, Mateo Casierra, and Vaclay Cerny did not feature in the first leg. All four have recovered from their respective ailments, and might feature in this one.
Considering this is a must-win game, Ajax could start Huntelaar upfront in order to add some much-needed European experience in the final third.
Nice
There is no question Nice will have their backs against the wall in this game. They could not win in the first leg at home, so now they must score at least once to keep themselves alive in this playoff tie. But it is not going to be easy, as Nice registered only one win in their last five Ligue 1 contests away from home last season. To make things even more complicated, Nice could not take advantage of the opportunity of playing at home in the first leg. And it remains to be seen how they will fare in this game, because they are not used to play in the European stage.
Team News
Nice will have a huge absence ahead of this game, as Mario Balotelli is reportedly unavailable for this game due to injury.
The rest of the squad should be fit to play, though. And since Nice kept the majority of last season’s squad together, they will not be an easy opponent. New signings Jean-Victor Makengo, Pierre Lees Melou and Christophe Jallet should all feature.
Key Factors to Consider
- Both sides played to a 1-1 draw in the first leg in France last season.
- Nice have not played in the UEFA Champions League before, while Ajax reached the UEFA Europa League final last season.
- Both teams scored in Ajax’s last seven UCL fixtures.
- Ajax are riding a 12-game winning streak playing at home.
- Ajax have conceded just three goals in their last five home games, while scoring 19 times over that same span.
Conclusion
Nice looked quite good in the first leg against Ajax, but it is not a secret that they decrease their level when Mario Balotelli is not on the pitch. If we add the fact that Ajax will play at home and have the advantage on the aggregate score, I believe Ajax will have enough in them to escape with the win and the berth in the tournament’s next round. They have been too dominant at home not to get a good result.
Verdict: Home win
Best Odds: 4/6
Bookmaker: bet365
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