Thursday brings us a plethora of very interesting matches, and it is well known that this day features the round of 16 duels of the Europa League, as well as the Conference League. From the third-tier club competition, we have one particular duel, as Ajax in Amsterdam will host Aston Villa, which will also be a match between two former European champions. The start of this encounter is scheduled for 18:45.
Ajax: A Tough Task for the Amsterdammers!
Following last season, in which Ajax, to put it mildly, did not distinguish themselves as they failed to qualify for the most prestigious European club competition, everyone certainly expected much better performances from the former European champions. However, as the season progresses, it seems that the popular Amsterdammers are playing far weaker than in the previous championship. Currently, the team from Amsterdam is in fifth place in the Dutch league, trailing eleven points behind third-placed Twente. It’s well known that the third position is the last one that leads to the Champions League qualifiers, so it’s more than certain that we will not see this club in the elite competition next season.
Given the disastrous start to the championship by the Amsterdam team, we can freely say that the situation is now much better, as there was a point when Ajax was even in a position that meant playing in the second tier of Dutch football next season. In the last round, Ajax achieved a very important victory at home against Utrecht, ending the match with a 2:0 score. This result brought the former Dutch champions closer to fourth-placed AZ Alkmaar, now only four points behind. This fourth position at the end of the season leads to qualification for the Conference League.
Regarding this season’s European campaign, Ajax finished third in their Europa League group, behind Brighton and Marseille, forcing the team to settle for continuing in the third-tier European club competition. There, the team from Amsterdam encountered the formidable Norwegian team Bodø/Glimt. The first match in Amsterdam ended in a 2:2 draw, with the Dutch representative scoring two goals in stoppage time. In the return leg, Ajax celebrated a 2:1 victory after extra time, thus setting up a two-legged tie with Aston Villa, who are playing phenomenally this season and, as things stand, are one of the main contenders for winning the Conference League.
Finally, the last head-to-head match between these two teams was played back in 2008, when Aston Villa celebrated a 2:0 victory at their home stadium during the group stage of the Europa League.
Aston Villa: This Team is Eyeing the Champions League!
It was evident last season that Unai Emery, after taking over Aston Villa mid-season, significantly shook up the team, which ultimately reached the seventh position in the table, thereby qualifying for the third-tier European club competition. Speaking of the Conference League, it’s worth noting that the English representative finished the group stage at the top of the table, just one point ahead of second-placed Legia, meaning the Birmingham team secured direct entry into the round of 16 of this competition.
In the six group stage matches, Unai Emery’s men achieved four victories, one defeat, and one draw, the latter in the final round away at Zrinjski, when it was already known that the English team would advance from the top of the table to the next phase. Looking at Villa’s performances in this year’s edition of the English Premier League, the Birmingham team has not played this well in a long time. The best indicator of this is that, with about ten rounds left in the championship, they are in a phenomenal fourth place in the table, which at the end of the season leads to qualification for the Champions League. This would be a huge success for a team that not so long ago played in the Championship.
Villa currently has a five-point lead over fifth-placed Tottenham, who, to be fair, has a game in hand. Therefore, it is expected that these two teams will engage in a fierce battle for the fourth position, with the observation that, all things considered, the team from Villa Park deserves a place in the most prestigious European club competition more. Lately, Unai Emery’s charges have been playing at a very high level, achieving three victories in their last three league matches.
The most recent victory occurred in the last round during a challenging away game at newcomer Luton, ending with a 3:2 result. Before that, Emery’s men defeated Nottingham Forest 4:2 at home, leading to the conclusion that the Birmingham team has scored a total of seven goals in their last two league matches. This is certainly a fact that should worry all Ajax fans, considering their favorite team has had significant problems this season in the defensive line.
Our Betting Suggestions
As we have already mentioned, we are talking about two former European champions. Certainly, Aston Villa has shown a lot more this season, however, it is difficult to beat Ajax on their own turf in a European encounter, as we saw best in the last round, when the Amsterdammers avoided defeat against Bodø/Glimt with two goals in stoppage time. We advise you to try with the Double Chance Ajax Or X, for which the bookmaker 22Bet has prepared odds of 2.17.
Something that seems undeniable in this duel in Amsterdam is goals, so we warmly recommend you try the Total Over 2.5 Goals bet with an odds of 1.45 at 22Bet.
Finally, a big question is how much interest the English representative will have in the further course of the Conference League, as the team from Villa Park faces a big battle for the fourth position and a place in the Champions League in the Premier League. It seems that Ajax might take advantage of this situation from the sidelines, which is why we boldly recommend you try with a straight win for Ajax, which 22Bet offers with a fantastic odds of 4.26.
Be the first to comment