Preview: Bayern Munich Women vs. Ajax Women - prediction, team news, lineups

Bayern Munich Women will attempt to extend their unbeaten run to the Women's Champions League group stage when they welcome Ajax Women to Germany for Thursday's contest.

Ajax, meanwhile, will be looking for a positive response after they were comfortably beaten by Roma on matchday two.

Match preview

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Bayern Munich have been in irresistible form in the 2023-24 campaign, having won nine and drawn three of their 12 competitive matches.

One of those three draws took place in their Champions League opener against Roma, where they gave up a two-goal lead to share the spoils with the Italian champions.

While they missed out on a win on that occasion, they produced a resolute away performance to beat Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 on matchday two thanks to a 21st-minute effort from defender Magdalena Eriksson, leaving them in second place and level on four points with group leaders Roma.

After finding the net against Werder Bremen prior to Bayern's success in Paris, Eriksson made it three goals in as many games when she got on the scoresheet in Monday's commanding 3-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen to help her side maintain a narrow one-point lead at the top of the Frauen-Bundesliga table.

Having kept four clean sheets in their last five competitive matches, Alexander Straus's side will look to produce another strong defensive display in Thursday's contest, as they bid to extend their unbeaten start to the season to 13 matches.

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Ajax are making their first appearance in the Women's Champions League group stage after successfully negotiating qualifying ties against Dinamo-BGU and Zurich.

They began the group stage with an impressive 2-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain thanks to a Tiny Hoekstra strike and a Sherida Spitse penalty.

However, Ajax were quickly brought down to earth on matchday two as they fell to a heavy 3-0 defeat against Roma, which ultimately left them in third position and one point adrift of the top two.

While they managed to bounce back with a 2-1 win over AZ Alkmaar, Suzanne Bakker's side head into Thursday's contest off the back of a frustrating outing against PSV Eindhoven, where they gave up a two-goal lead to draw 3-3 in Sunday's away fixture.

Although Ajax lost 3-0 in their previous meeting with Bayern in December 2020, they enjoyed success in their most recent Women's Champions League game against German opposition, beating Eintracht Frankfurt 3-1 in last season's qualifying rounds.

Team News

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Bayern will be unable to call upon Cecilia Ran Runarsdottir, Carolin Simon, Ana Maria Guzman, Pernille Harder and Weronika Zawistowska.

After dropping down to the bench on Monday, Austria international Katharina Naschenweng could come into the side for Thursday's contest.

Lea Schuller, who featured as a half-time substitute against Leverkusen, is also set to feature in the lineup after starting Bayern's opening two group matches against Roma and PSG.

As for the visitors, Isa Kardinaal could come back into the lineup to feature in a back four alongside Kay-Lee De Sanders, Ashleigh Weerden and Spitse.

Having scored 17 goals in 16 competitive appearances, Romee Leutcher will look to add to her impressive tally when she leads the line against Bayern.

The Netherlands international could be supported in a front three by Tiny Hoekstra and Chasity Grant, who are expected to provide the width.

Bayern Munich Women possible starting lineup:

Grohs; Gwinn, Viggosdottir, Eriksson, Naschenweng; Zadrazil, Stanway; Dallman, Damnjanovic, Buhl; Schuller

Ajax Women possible starting lineup:

Van Eijk; Kardinaal, Spitse, De Sanders, Weerden; Noordam, Van Gool, Yohannes; Hoekstra, Grant, Leutcher

We say: Bayern Munich Women 2-1 Ajax Women

Having won six of their last seven competitive matches, we think that the hosts will have the extra quality required to beat an Ajax side that have won just one of their last four games (D1, L1).

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