Preview: Ajax vs. Heerenveen - prediction, team news, lineups

Fresh off securing their playoff spot in the Conference League, Ajax welcome Heerenveen to the Johan Cruyff Arena on Sunday, aiming to secure consecutive Eredivisie wins to start the season.

Michel has yet to taste defeat in a competitive match since taking charge, and even though their winning streak was halted during the week, De Joden are resounding favourites to beat the Super Frisians in Amsterdam.

Match preview

Ajax could not get the better of Heerenveen on home turf last season and indeed in the reverse fixture on the final day of the 2025-26 season, but those results were anomalies in an otherwise one-sided fixture.

The Amsterdam giants had claimed seven of the previous eight meetings before last term's pair of draws, and they will aim to reclaim their stranglehold in this fixture this weekend.

The Jews enter Sunday's encounter primed to return to winning ways in this fixture, despite their 2-2 draw with Shelbourne on Thursday, which ended the team's run of seven straight wins across all competitions.

Michel's team already held a 3-1 lead from the first leg, and only needed to avoid a total collapse in Dublin to advance to the playoff round in Europe's third-tier club competition.

The only issue for the home support ahead of the new manager's home bow in the Eredivisie is the continued inability to keep clean sheets with any real consistency; a run of just three in 11 since the start of pre-season gives Heerenveen some confidence ahead of this weekend's tussle.

Robin Veldman takes the Super Frisians to Amsterdam with his side enjoying the momentum of a free-scoring attack, even if their opening-day 1-0 success over Twente was a return to reality after a goal-laden pre-season.

De Superfriezen, though, had shown significant end product in the attacking third, scoring three or more goals in all four tune-up matches heading into the 2026-27 season before netting just one last time out.

However, they will back themselves to pose a challenge to Ajax, whose defensive frailties are well documented ahead of their first league match under their new boss.

Any trouble Veldman's men will cause, though, is contingent on shedding their away blues from the previous season, when they lost eight of 17 away matches, securing six victories for the entire season.

With the regular season finishing with De Superfriezen failing to score in two of their final three matches on the road, the travelling supporters will hope for some away boost this Sunday at a ground that has historically brought them little cheer.

Ajax Eredivisie form:

Ajax form (all competitions):

Heerenveen Eredivisie form:

Team News

Mika Godts's move to Paris Saint-Germain is close to completion, leaving Ajax without their star forward heading into the campaign.

Julian Brandt already made an immediate impact on the side, scoring a 95th-minute debut goal for De Godenzonen last week to add to Jorthy Mokio's 76th-minute effort.

Although Steven Berghuis and Oscar Gloukh neither scored nor assisted on matchday one, the pair remain two possible match-winners for Ajax, as is Kasper Dolberg, expected to start at centre-forward.

Ajax will assess veteran Daley Blind — who is carrying a knock — as well as Josip Sutalo, Rayane Bounida, Ahmetcan Kaplan (knee) and Amourricho van Axel Dongen (thigh), all of whom are expected to be absent.

While Heerenveen do not have an injury list as lengthy as their hosts, Oliver Braude and Mats Egbring will be assessed ahead of Sunday's fixture.

Dylan Vente may not have scored on the opening day, but his previous run of six goals in four matches before last weekend highlights his scoring momentum.

Also capable of deciding the game is Jacob Trenskow, who set up last week's winning goal, bringing his goal contributions to six in five appearances before matchday two's trip to Amsterdam.

Ajax possible starting lineup:

Ter Stegen; Rosa, Bouwman, Baas, Caio Henrique; Klaassen, Regeer; Berghuis, Dolberg, Brandt

Heerenveen possible starting lineup:

Klaverboer; Petrov, Willemsen, Kersten, Zagaritis; Linday, Proper, Meerveld; Trenskow, Vente, Oyen

We say: Ajax 3-1 Heerenveen

Although Heerenveen arrive in Amsterdam buoyed by their opening-day victory, their historically wretched away record in this fixture suggests they will struggle to withstand the hosts' formidable attacking firepower.

With Brandt already making an immediate impact following his debut goal, Michel's men should possess far too much quality in the final third to slip up in front of their home supporters.

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