Ajax v Liverpool Betting Tips [21 October 2020]

Liverpool will take to the field for their first Champions League group game off the back of a feisty Merseyside derby that has left them battered and bruised. The Reds will travel to the Dutch capital of Amsterdam without influential centre-back Virgil Van Dijk as he looks set to miss a large portion of the season with an ACL injury. Liverpool were also denied a late winner by a controversial offside decision confirmed by VAR meaning they drew 2-2 with rivals Everton while Ajax returned to winning ways with a resounding 5-1 victory over Heerenveen. 

Ajax were left heartbroken by Tottenham Hotspur in 2019 as Spurs scored late to advance to the final of this competition. They were ultimately beaten by Liverpool in the showpiece but while many of Ajax’s top talents left for pastures new those left behind had to go again. Ajax were in a really exciting group with Valencia, Chelsea and Lille last season but could only manage third so didn’t make it to the knockout stages. Nonetheless, they will return to European action after four wins in five to start the new Eredivisie season and have won each of their three games at the Johan Cruijff Arena whilst scoring 10 goals. 

As for Liverpool they are now without a win in three either side of the international break and have been left with a huge hole in their back-line. The absence of Alisson has been further compounded by the untimely and lengthy injury to Virgil Van Dijk but they still should have enough at the other end to win most of their games. Liverpool did lose their opening group game which was away in Napoli last year and even in their 2018/19 winning season they lost all three of their group games on the road. 

It will be interesting to see how Liverpool adapt to life without Van Dijk and I see Ajax getting chances to score especially with the pace they have in attacking areas. However, it's hard to see Ajax keeping out the likes of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane so back both teams to score in this one.