Ajax vs Liverpool Prediction & Betting Tips - Champions League

Prediction published on 18/10/2020, 10:20  by Steve Ashfield | Modified on 18/10/2020 at 14:22 in Champions League Predictions

Liverpool begin their 2020/21 Champions League campaign with a tricky away game against Ajax Amsterdam. The other two teams in the group are Atalanta (quarter finalists last season) and Midtjylland. Jurgen Klopp's team may have won the World Club Championship and Premier League title last season but they lost their European crown. The Reds lost in the last sixteeen to Atletico Madrid and will want to do better this season. Recent games hasn't seen them in the dominant form they were in last season. The weekend saw them draw 2-2 at Everton and that followed that amazing 7-2 loss at Aston Villa and being knocked out of the EFL Cup on penalties by Arsenal. Three of their last six away Champions League matches have been lost. At least that's a better record than in 2018 when five consecutive away games in this competiton ended in defeat.  Liverpool will be without Virgil Van Dijk for the foreseeable future, not good news for a team that is conceding a lot of goals. Only one of their last eight away matches hasn't seen both teams score. Clean sheets have only been kept in two of their last 13 away matches.

Ajax reached the Champions League semi-finals two seasons ago but have sold several top players since then. They had an eventful campaign last season, failing to make it out of their group. That wouldn’t have been the case if they’d hung onto a 4-1 away lead at Chelsea and drawing 4-4. Ajax finished on ten points in that group but still only finished third. They then lost to Getafe in the last 32 of the Europa League, so will want a better campaign this time around. Ajax are second in the Eredvisie with four wins and a loss at Gronigen from their five league games. Sunday saw them hammer Heerenveen 5-1 at home with two goals from Tadic  Only one of their last ten home league and cup games has been lost. That's a better record than in the Champions League though with the last two played lost to Chelsea and Valencia. A bet on a Liverpool win is the one to make.