Benfica v Ajax Preview And Predictions - Champions League Last 16, 1st Leg
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Benfica v Ajax Preview And Predictions - Champions League Last 16, 1st Leg

Benfica and Ajax turn their attention to the last 16 of the Champions League when they clash in the 1st leg at the Estádio da Luz on Wednesday night. Ajax, who sit top of the Eredivisie, have lost just two league games all season and are on a 10-game winning run in all competitions, while the hosts haven't enjoyed the best of campaigns on the domestic front. Check out our preview and predictions for the game and if playing online casino is your entertainment of choice, then head over to Genting Casino and check out our selection of over 3000 online slots and our Premium Live Casino tables available to play on any device!


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Recent Form

Ajax are on course for yet another Eredivisie title, though PSV remain hot on their heels and it’s certainly not a foregone conclusion with just five points separating the two. 

Remarkably, de Godenzonen have scored an average 3.04 goals per game in the league this year, and conceded a total of just five goals all season, and any side with that record are going to be extremely tough to beat. 

They are one of just three sides to maintain a 100% record in the Champions League this year and with the other two being Bayern and Liverpool, they’re in great company.

Benfica seem to be all but out of the Premeira Liga title race, with Porto sitting 12-points clear and Sporting the only side looking like they can challenge them. 

With that said, Benfica remain the top scorers in the league with 60 goals, though 22 conceded in 23 games has been their downfall, and they’ll certainly need to tighten up for this clash if they want head to Amsterdam with a positive result.

The Portuguese side’s form is certainly cause for concern with just four wins in their last 11 matches (W4-D3-L4), and although they may be able to excuse that by pointing out t here of those defeats came against Porto (twice) and Sporting, that doesn’t exactly mitigate them when coming up against a side of Ajax’s quality.

Ajax To Win

What they do have on their side is their home record in this competition, winning six of their last seven such outings and losing only to Bayern. 

However, the best side they’ve faced in that time is this year’s Barcelona side, who are certainly a shadow of their former selves, while Ajax are a side playing with the utmost confidence at the moment.

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Over 1.5 Goals

It seems unlikely that the hosts will keep a clean sheet here, having only managed three in 14 matches since the end of the group stages, with those coming against second division Sporting Covilha and bottom-half sides Pacos Ferreira and Arouca, so we’re expecting the likes of Seb Haller, Anthony and Dusan Tadic to have a field day here.

Seb Haller To Score Anytime

The value in this game looks to be combining multiple markets. Seb Haller is this year’s Champions League top scorer so far, and has been in electric form for his club since signing. 

It would be a genuine shock if was to draw a blank here, especially seeing as he managed a hat-trick just over a week ago. 

The visitors are extremely free scoring, with only Bayern netting more than them in this competition so far, while Benfica have look suspect at the back, so at least two goals are on the cards for Ajax on their way to victory.

PREDICTIONS:

AJAX TO WIN

OVER 1.5 GOALS

SEB HALLER TO SCORE ANYTIME


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