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

Ajax travel north-east to face Heerenveen at Abe Lenstra Stadion on Sunday for the final fixture of the 2025–26 Eredivisie campaign, hoping victory will be enough for a top-four finish.

The Amsterdam visitors head into the encounter fifth in the Dutch top-flight standings, three points behind third-placed Twente in the final Champions League qualification spot and one point adrift of fourth-placed NEC in the Europa League places, while the eighth-placed hosts are already guaranteed a place in the European play-offs.

Match preview

Ajax have endured a mixed 2025–26 Eredivisie campaign, with their recent inconsistency leaving them on the brink of missing out on a top-four finish for only the second time in 26 years.

The Amsterdam club have managed just six victories from 16 league matches (D7, L3) since the turn of the year, only once recording consecutive wins during that period, coming against now-relegated Heracles and NAC Breda on matchdays 30 and 31, respectively.

However, Ajax have since dropped points in back-to-back matches, following up a 2–2 draw in De Topper against already-crowned champions PSV Eindhoven with a dramatic 2–1 home defeat to European hopefuls FC Utrecht last weekend.

Trailing 1-0 heading into the closing stages, Oscar Garcia’s side levelled through veteran striker Wout Weghorst in the 84th minute, only for Mike van der Hoorn to net a stoppage-time winner that sent the Amsterdam outfit tumbling out of the top four.

Although Ajax’s hopes of securing at least a fourth-place finish are no longer entirely in their own hands, victory in Friesland would significantly boost their chances, and De Godenzonen can be optimistic, especially after successive away wins in which they scored five goals without reply.

Meanwhile, Heerenveen head into this encounter on the back of a disappointing 2–0 defeat away at now-relegated NAC last weekend, with Boy Kemper scoring in both halves for the hosts.

That result represented only a second defeat in De Superfriezen’s last nine league outings (W6, D1), with the other also coming against AZ Alkmaar in mid-April, and those two losses were the only matches in that run in which Robin Veldman’s men failed to score.

Already assured of a place in the European playoffs, Heerenveen still have the opportunity to climb higher in the standings, sitting just one point behind sixth-placed AZ Alkmaar and level on points with seventh-placed FC Utrecht.

A higher finish would represent a notable achievement for the Super Frisians, who have not ended a top-flight season above seventh since 2014–15, and they will take confidence from winning each of their last five home league matches while scoring at least twice in every one of them.

However, Heerenveen’s record in this matchup offers little encouragement, with just one victory across their last 35 competitive meetings with Ajax, losing 29 of those encounters, although this season’s reverse fixture ended in a 1–1 draw.

Heerenveen Eredivisie form:

Ajax Eredivisie form:

Ajax form (all competitions):

Team News

Ajax are expected to remain without Owen Wijndal, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Kian Fitz-Jim and Vitezslav Jaros due to injury problems.

Weghorst marked his return from a brief absence with a goal against Utrecht last weekend to take his Eredivisie tally to eight for the campaign, and the experienced striker could now be preferred to Kasper Dolberg in attack.

Meanwhile, Mika Godts remains Ajax’s leading scorer in the league with 17 goals, with only Feyenoord forward Ayase Ueda netting more in the Eredivisie this season.

Heerenveen could again be without Amourricho van Axel Dongen and Levi Smans as they continue recovering from thigh and knee injuries, respectively.

Maxence Rivera and Nikolai Hopland have both missed the last two matches and remain doubts for this weekend, although the return of midfielder Joris van Overeem from suspension will hand Veldman a timely boost.

Heerenveen possible starting lineup:

Klaverboer; Braude, Kersten, Willemsen, Zagaritis; Linday, Van Overeem; Trenskow, Meerveld, Oyen; Vente

Ajax possible starting lineup:

Paes; Gaaei, Sutalo, Baas, Rosa; Regeer, Itakura, Mokio; Berghuis, Weghorst, Godts

We say: Heerenveen 2-2 Ajax

Ajax may have more riding on this encounter, but their inconsistency in recent months could undermine their hopes of securing maximum points against one of the division’s in-form sides at home.

Heerenveen have also struggled historically in this fixture, though their recent home form suggests they are capable of troubling the visitors, so a score draw looks the most likely outcome

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