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

Separated by five points and four places in the Eredivisie table, Fortuna Sittard welcome Ajax to the Fortuna Sittard Stadion on Saturday, aiming to close the gap on the Amsterdam side.

However, that would require defeating the Dutch giants for the first time since March 2000, and the away side’s current form presents an opening for FSC in gameweek 15.

Match preview

Seventeen matches have been played since Fortuna last defeated Ajax, 25 years ago, highlighting the gulf in quality between these two clubs.

That gap is further underlined by FSC falling to 14 defeats to this weekend’s visitors during that period, failing to even find the net in 12 of those meetings.

Danny Buijs leads his team into Saturday’s fixture aiming to snap that extended sequence without a win over the 36-time Eredivisie champions, and they have reason to be confident.

The ninth-placed hosts are among the league’s strongest teams at home this season, accumulating 14 points from a possible 21 — top-ranked PSV Eindhoven have 16 from seven matches.

Only Groningen have beaten Buijs’s team this season in front of their supporters, with that late October defeat coming either side of wins over FC Volendam (1-0) and Heerenveen (2-0).

Having already kept three clean sheets this term, Fortuna now enter this weekend aiming to produce another strong defensive performance and end their Ajax hoodoo.

They may not have a better opportunity, especially as the Amsterdam side have undergone few changes in the opening half of the 2025-26 season.

Johnny Heitinga is now long gone, but Fred Grim’s efforts have not significantly improved performances or results.

Tuesday’s 2-0 win over Groningen in an empty Johan Cruyff Arena — a consequence of Sunday’s match being rescheduled due to a fireworks overload — was perhaps not a fair reflection of the game, as FC missed presentable chances before Ajax scored on the break through Mika Godts and Aaron Bouwman on the hour.

That victory ended a three-match winless run in the Eredivisie and five across all competitions, during which they slipped to four straight defeats.

It remains to be seen whether beating Groningen on Tuesday is the fillip needed for an upturn for the Amsterdam giants after a dismal period.

The recent victory saw Ajax reclaim fifth place from FC Utrecht, who could only draw 2-2 with Go Ahead Eagles, and they must at least match the sixth-placed team’s result to avoid slipping in the table.

With NEC and AZ — in third and fourth — only a point above De Joden, maximum points and results going in their favour could see the interim boss celebrate a second league win since replacing Heitinga.

Fortuna Sittard Eredivisie form:

Fortuna Sittard form (all competitions):

Ajax Eredivisie form:

Ajax form (all competitions):

Team News

Daley Sinkgraven (knee), Alen Halilovic (ankle), Syb van Ottele (hamstring) and Ramazan Bayram (knee) could all miss out for the hosts on Saturday due to injury.

All four of Mohamed Ihattaren’s league goals this term have come at home, and the attacking midfielder aims to add to that number and end FSC’s 25-year wait for success in this fixture.

Paul Gladon has scored one fewer in Sittard than Ihattaren, but 50% of the striker’s four goals have been match-winners, highlighting his undeniable match-deciding quality despite limited starts; Kaj Sierhuis is likely to start up front.

Godts is Ajax’s leading match-deciding threat, with three of his six league strikes securing victory for his team; however, only two of his league goals have come away from home.

Wout Weghorst carries an equal threat both home and away, scoring three in each, but the tall forward has not scored since late October’s 3-2 win at FC Twente, failing to find the net in four Eredivisie games and six across all competitions.

Grim has no fresh injuries to contend with, though the interim boss remains without Steven Berghuis (groin), possibly until 2026.

Fortuna Sittard possible starting lineup:

Branderhorst; Pinto, Adewoye, Marquez, Dahlhaus; Michut, Fosso; Peterson, Ihattaren, Limnios; Sierhuis

Ajax possible starting lineup:

Jaros; Regeer, Bouwman, Baas, Wijndal; Klaassen, Itakura, Taylor; Gloukh, Weghorst, Godts

We say: Fortuna Sittard 2-1 Ajax

The precedent is not in Fortuna’s favour, but they may not have a better chance of ending their hoodoo against the 36-time Eredivisie champions.

Considering their strong home form and Ajax’s inconsistent results, we are sticking our necks out and backing the hosts to end their 25-year wait for a win in this fixture.

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