Ajax are up and running in the new Eredivisie season and they have taken an early lead, which they will be looking to protect, when they travel to Sparta Rotterdam on Match Week 3. The hosts, Sparta Rotterdam, are still in search of their first win, and as a result, are placed 11th in the league standings, with one point. They are coming from a 3-2 loss at home to AZ, and will have another chance at home, against the champions. Sparta Rotterdam took an early lead against AZ but in the end, Vito van Crooij’s brace wasn’t enough. They will hope for a more disciplined defensive performance, having managed just one clean sheet in their last five matches. Most importantly, their ambitions will be directed at stopping a run that has seen them lose each of their last 11 meetings with Ajax.
Ajax have won both their opening games in the league, recovering from the loss to PSV in the Super Cup, and their title defence is well on course, as early as now. The one thing that remains a key concern for the champions is the porous nature of their defence. In the three competitive matches they have played this season, Ajax have kept no clean sheet, conceding eight times in three matches. They actually have no clean sheet in their last five matches but in those five matches, they’ve scored two or more goals in four. Four of their last five matches have produced over 2.5 goals. In 12 league matches, they are unbeaten, winning 10 times in that run.
Ajax have dominated this fixture in the past and will still carry to this game the favorites’ tag. They face a side winless in the season and with the confidence of having not lost a league in 12 outings, the visitors will have the upper hand. We will thus back Ajax to lead in both halves.