Preview: De Graafschap vs. Ajax - prediction, team news, lineups

De Graafschap face an uphill task on Thursday evening when they host the reigning Eredivisie champions in the quarter-final of the KNVB Beker at the Stadion De Vijverberg.

The home side come into this affair in good spirits after a 4-0 victory against FC Eindhoven in their last matchup, while Ajax were able to overcome an early deficit to beat Vitesse 2-1.

Match preview

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Having reached the promotion playoff positions in every full Eerste Divisie season since their relegation from the Eredivisie in 2019, Adrie Poldervaart's men are in the midst of one of the club's worst seasons, as they find themselves six points from the top eight and are 13th in the league table.

However, the home side will come into this clash with some confidence after an emphatic 4-0 victory over Eindhoven, with 21-year-old attacking midfielder Camiel Neghli scoring a hat-trick.

Heading into a fixture with such significance, a good performance against opposition of such high quality could be the spark that galvanizes the squad for the remainder of the season.

Although the home side have a dreadful record against Ajax in their head-to-head records, with Ajax claiming victory on eight of the nine occasions that the two sides have faced each other, having never been beaten by Superboeren.

Nevertheless, if De Graafschap are to overturn the odds in this tie, they will need to have a compact shape and work hard out of possession to deny Ajax's talented forwards access into dangerous areas.

Team News

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Team News text here

De Graafschap possible starting lineup:

Lineup here

Ajax possible starting lineup:

Lineup here

We say: De Graafschap X-Y Ajax

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