Preview: Ajax vs. Go Ahead Eagles - prediction, team news, lineups

Ajax host Go Ahead Eagles at Johan Cruyff Arena in Saturday’s Eredivisie gameweek 19 action, just days after a 6-0 beatdown by AZ Alkmaar in the KNVB Beker.

Fred Grim’s team were a disaster in the last-16 hammering, and they seek a response against their opponents from Deventer, whom they have not lost to since February 2022.

Match preview

Ajax were backed to end their four-year wait for success against AZ this week, only for De Joden to suffer a humiliating 6-0 defeat at AFAS Stadion.

Troy Parrott, who would end the night with a hat-trick, opened the scoring for the Alkmaar hosts after two minutes, and the Cheese Farmers did not look back, ending the half with a 3-0 lead before adding three more after the break.

Not even Owen Wijndal’s 66th-minute red card could excuse the team’s last-16 loss, with Grim’s team already 4-0 down before the dismissal, and they now head into the weekend looking to return to winning ways after losing their seven-match undefeated run.

While De Joden have been far from perfect in the Eredivisie, the Amsterdam giants have still managed to secure the right result, highlighted by a five-match sequence without losing, accumulating 13 points during that time.

A four-year unbeaten record against this weekend’s visitors should give some confidence to Grim’s side as the third-placed club look to claim their third consecutive home win in the league and seventh overall.

Their Deventer-based opponents, however, will remind observers that five of the seven meetings since February 2022’s win over Ajax have ended in draws, including this season’s reverse fixture in mid-August.

That 2-2 draw was the third stalemate in four matchups, and the travelling fans will be aware of their team avoiding defeat in three of their previous four trips to Amsterdam.

While wins have been at a premium for Melvin Boel’s team, who have not secured maximum points in any league game since beating Feyenoord in November, they have been defeated only once in five league matches: a 2-0 loss away at FC Twente in mid-December.

Since that defeat, the Pride of the Ijssel have not suffered any setback in four matches across all competitions, albeit not securing a 90-minute victory and requiring penalties to beat Roda in the second round and Heracles in Wednesday’s round of 16 to continue the defence of their title.

Now, the 12th-placed visitors from Deventer hope to catch Ajax in a vulnerable moment and secure another positive result against the Amsterdam giants.

Ajax Eredivisie form:

Ajax form (all competitions):

Go Ahead Eagles Eredivisie form:

Go Ahead Eagles form (all competitions):

Team News

Ajax are unlikely to have Takehiro Tomiyasu, Steven Berghuis (groin) and Wout Weghorst (ankle) available for selection at the weekend.

Only Sparta Rotterdam’s Tobias Lauritsen, Feyenoord’s Ayase Ueda and PSV Eindhoven’s Guus Til have scored more match-winning goals than Mika Godts’s three, and the attacker seek to add to his eight Eredivisie goals on Saturday.

The wide attacker has scored four of his goals in Amsterdam — and the same number away from home — demonstrating his knack for impacting games regardless of situations.

While Soren Tengstedt’s injury will be assessed ahead of the weekend’s contest, Pim Saathof (knee), Gerrit Nauber (leg) and Robbin Weijenberg (knee) are expected to miss out.

Mathis Suray is the leading attacking threat for the visitors, evidenced by scoring eight Eredivisie goals; however, seven of those strikes have been in Deventer, possibly dampening any excitement of stunning the hosts.

Ajax possible starting lineup:

Jaros; Gaaei, Itakura, Baas, Rosa; Klaassen, Regeer, Steur; Godts, Dolberg, Gloukh

Go Ahead Eagles possible starting lineup:

De Busser; Deijl, Meulensteen, Kramer, James; Goudmijn, Linthorst; Slory, Edvardsen, Suray; Smit

We say: Ajax 2-2 Go Ahead Eagles

Go Ahead Eagles have proven to be a difficult opponent for the Amsterdam giants in recent years and may capitalise on any lingering lack of confidence.

Boel’s team are experts at securing draws and could frustrate Ajax in the Johan Cruyff Arena once again in a score draw.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.