Preview: Ajax vs. Fortuna Sittard - prediction, team news, lineups

Hoping to preserve their 26-year unbeaten run against Fortuna Sittard, Ajax welcome the visitors to the Johan Cruyff Arena on Saturday for the 23rd round of Eredivisie fixtures.

Although they remain unbeaten in the top flight since November, Fred Grim’s side have been hampered by a series of draws in recent weeks, a trend they will look to reverse against opponents who come into the weekend with just one league win from five in 2026.

Match preview

Ajax had the chance to move into second spot in the Eredivisie table in January, only to play out three draws in four league matches, defeating only FC Volendam 2-0 during that period.

Beating Volendam, previously winless on their travels, was expected against a team with only five points accrued from 33 available on the road, perhaps diminishing its significance in Amsterdam.

Since that result, Grim’s team have experienced fluctuating emotions on their travels: De Joden let a 2-0 lead slip to draw 2-2 at SBV Excelsior in the 21st round, and they secured a point at AZ Alkmaar after Kian Fitz-Jim’s 93rd-minute leveller in a game that threatened to become their first league defeat since November’s 2-1 reverse in Amsterdam against Excelsior.

While three consecutive victories over Groningen (2-0), Fortuna (3-1) and Feyenoord (2-0) followed that early-season poor form, only two more league wins have come since, with De Joden’s inability to keep many clean sheets undermining their prospects of pushing for a second-place finish.

The only shutout since mid-December’s victory over Feyenoord came in the success over struggling Volendam, with the Amsterdam giants conceding twice in 2-2 draws with NEC, Go Ahead Eagles and Excelsior, and edging out Telstar 3-2 at the start of January.

Now aiming to turn recent draws into wins, the hosts will welcome facing a team they historically fare well against as they seek a return to winning ways after two league matches without victory and three winless games in all competitions.

Fortuna head to Amsterdam on a three-match losing sequence in this fixture, losing by an aggregate score of 10-1, highlighting the chasm between these clubs.

Digging deeper, the difference in class is doubly accentuated: FSC have failed to beat De Godenzonen in 26 years since a 2-0 triumph in March 2000, and one would have to go back a year earlier for their previous win in Amsterdam — a 3-1 success in April 1999.

That historical disadvantage emphasises the uphill challenge facing the visitors on Saturday, as they head into this weekend without a positive result in 18 meetings with Ajax, drawing three times in that period.

The current form of Danny Buijs’s team does little to enhance optimism in Sittard-Geleen, with fans witnessing just one win in five league games since the start of 2026.

Further cause for concern is their inability to prevent opponents from scoring, as evidenced by FSC’s failure to keep a clean sheet in 10 consecutive Eredivisie games and 11 across all competitions.

Those statistics have hampered the 11th-placed team’s chances of pushing for a top-eight berth — and with it a guaranteed European playoff spot — with the Sittard-Geleen outfit now five points adrift of Groningen in eighth heading into this weekend, and that gap could widen if the precedent against Ajax continues.

Ajax Eredivisie form:

Ajax form (all competitions):

Fortuna Sittard Eredivisie form:

Team News

Wout Weghorst has been unable to displace Kasper Dolberg since returning from injury, and the towering Dutchman may have to make do with a role off the bench this weekend.

Although Mika Godts was unable to score in the draw at AZ, the 10-goal forward — who has also provided seven assists — remains the home team’s leading attacking threat against FSC.

Most of the wide attacker’s damage, though, has been away from home, considering that only four of his six league strikes have come in Amsterdam, but he hopes to add to his current tally at the Johan Cruyff Arena.

While Grim has no apparent injury problems, Fortuna are not quite as fortunate, with Mattijs Branderhorst, Daley Sinkgraven (knee), Justin Lonwijk, Jasper Dahlhaus and Ramazan Bayram (knee) sidelined, while Ivo Pinto's issue will be assessed and Luka Tunjic’s involvement is uncertain due to illness.

With Lonwijk’s four goals unavailable to Buijs this weekend, the away side will look to Kaj Sierhuis and Mohamed Ihattaren — who have netted eight and four respectively — to come up trumps in Amsterdam.

Given that 50% of Sierhuis’s goals have come away from Sittard-Geleen, the FSC leading scorer has already shown his competence in different situations, boding well ahead of this weekend’s visit to Ajax.

Ajax possible starting lineup:

Jaros; Gaaei, Sutalo, Baas, Wijndal; Klaassen, Reeger, Steur; Bounida, Dolberg, Godts

Fortuna Sittard possible starting lineup:

Koopmans; Van Ottele, Kasanwirjo, Marquez, Hubner; Michut, Brittijn; Ihattaren, Duijvestijn, Peterson; Sierhuis

We say: Ajax 3-1 Fortuna Sittard

The historical disadvantage and Ajax already winning the reverse fixture 3-1 underline the uphill challenge facing Fortuna ahead of this weekend’s clash.

While both teams’ defensive struggles point to goals at both ends, Grim’s side are the likelier to come away with maximum points and return to winning ways after consecutive league draws.

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