On Tuesday, 7 August 2018, Standard Liege will host Ajax Amsterdam at 20:00 (CET) for the first leg of the third round of the UEFA Champions League qualification 2018/19. Here, in the Belgian Maurice Dufrasne Stadium, two runners-up face each other in the placement path , when the home side will now be back on the international stage after the start of the season in the local Jupiler Pro League. In the odds, Liège against Ajax is in the outsider role, after the Dutch had to compete in the second qualifying round and their role as an important role against the SK Sturm Graz have been impressive, With the Belgian runner-up, the four-time Champions League winner is yet another caliber in the way, the only thing that needs to be mastered. And if Ajax Amsterdam succeeds, we want to find out in this post, if we want to look more closely at the form of the two teams before we finally have in our forecast to Liege against Ajax the best possible tip for you.
By the way, the winner of this match, which claims to be a return match, is far from over the top, but will still have to compete for one of the coveted starting positions for the group stage of the Champions League in the final play-offs . There one of the other three winners of the duels is waiting in the placement path, which will be drawn by tomorrow’s Monday. Whether Standard Liege or Ajax Amsterdam gets it in the final qualifying round to the premier class certainly with one of the following four teams to do: Benfica Lisbon / Fenerbahce Istanbul or Slavia Prague / Dynamo Kiev. A long way to the Champions League, while for the losing team only the group stage of the UEFA Europa League remain, in which the two clubs have already crossed in the preliminary round of the season 2016/17 on the way.
Now, however, the cards are being reshuffled and the incentive Champions League is certainly gigantic for both clubs, especially since the additional revenue that results from the premiums, television rights and marketing rights of the premier class, is simply enormous. Here in Liege, the course is set for the second leg in the coming week – and we now want to find out, with regard to the shape of the two teams, what the starting position is likely to be.
Standard Liege – Slightly lost ground at the start of the season
The club, which is officially called Royal Standard Club de Liège, but in this country but is commonly run as a standard Liege, this summer could celebrate some great successes. In the Jupiler Pro League they secured the runner-up and could crown in addition to the Belgian Cup winners, which finally brought the traditional club, which had once reached the final of the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1982, once again a title . All the more surprising that success coach Ricardo Sá Pinto then turned his back on the club. With Michel Preud’homme, who has now taken the scepter as coach for the third time in his career and returns to the sideline ten years after his departure in June 2008, although one can undertake an experienced man,However, in the first competitive match under the new, old coach, there was a first, minor disappointment when they suffered a 1: 2 defeat in the Belgian Super Cup against champions FC Brugge , who are also some way ahead for dominance in Belgium Club football was. And after a 3-1 victory over Gent on Matchday 1, last Friday’s away win at Underdog Waasland-Beveren was just a goalless draw, and they lost ground again. There is also a pent-up demand in the transfer market, where there is currently still a plus that could be invested – especially if a possible Champions League participation would now flush more money into the coffers. Nevertheless, you still have Ajaxdrawn an unpleasant opponent, which makes it all the more important that a good starting position is earned at home .
Ajax Amsterdam – Ready to fully attack again
Four seasons in a row remained Ajax Amsterdam without further title win in national Dutch football. And even the Europa League final, which was achieved in 2017 against Manchester United, could not turn the young troupe into something countable. All in all, this cost the traditional club many more hopeful talents, because after last summer already players like Davinson Sánchez, Davy Klaassen or Jairo Riedwald went, then now also striker hope Justin Kluivert left the club the back. No wonder, then, that the transfer revenue has now been invested in experienced players andthe already solid troupe to established greats like Daley Blind or Dusan Tadic added that came for a lot of money from the English Premier League in the Dutch capital . Coupled with players like Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, who sealed his place in the third qualifying round with his brace against Sturm Graz, coach Erik ten Hag can look forward to a powerful team that has chances in the domestic Eredivisie finally retake the championship again. In short: Ajax Amsterdam is ready to fully attack again, if now the course for the entry into the play-offs should be made, before this Saturday in the national league will be back on the court, And just to hold hopefuls like 18-year-old young captain Matthijs de Ligt, the starting place for the Champions League would be worth gold.
Liege – Ajax Record – Previous meetings
Most recently, Standard Liege and Ajax Amsterdam faced off in two competitive games in the UEFA Europa League group stage of the 2016/17 season . A 1-1 draw in Belgium was followed by a 1-0 home win by the Dutch, which would mean that the four-time Champions League winner in this combination would now also be eligible for the play-offs.
Liege – Ajax Prediction – Champions League Game on 07/08/2018
In the odds, Liège against Ajax is at least in the outsider role, with the Belgians at least two factors come to good here. First, the home advantage. And secondly, the fact that you have already returned to the rhythm of the game, after the season in Belgium has already run for two weeks. Only the latest result could have been much better. Although they played there for the first time to zero, but could not snap in front. It will be very difficult to keep a clean sheet against Amsterdam’s strong offensive, which means we expect the Dutch team to have a very good starting position for the second leg, On the one hand, the away win is in the realm of possibility, but on the other hand, a 1-1 draw would be absolutely conceivable. All in all, after the games against Graz, we believe that Erik ten Hag’s squad is currently one size too big for the Belgians.
In our forecast for Liège against Ajax we therefore recommend you Tip 2 .
Liege – Ajax Odds * – Champions League Match on 07/08/2018
Tip 1 (Liege): 3,40
Tip X (Draw): 3,30
Tip 2 (Ajax): 2,15
