Will the Godenzones continue their run in Lisbon?
With six wins and 20:5 goals, Ajax Amsterdam left no stone unturned in the group stage of the Champions League and also dispatched Sporting Lisbon in all form with a total of 9:3 goals. The Godenzones are now favourites to travel to the Portuguese capital once again, where they could extend their winning streak at Benfica Lisbon.
The Netherlands’ dominance of their domestic league, in which they have scored 70 goals in 23 games and conceded just five, also points to a place in the quarter-finals for the Godenzones. Already in the first leg between Benfica Lisbon and Ajax Amsterdam, the odds are clearly in favour of the visitors.
The Portuguese side have not conceded a goal in five of their last seven Champions League games, but in those two games against Bayern they scored nine times against a similarly powerful attack. Accordingly, there is a lot of value to be found in betting on a high-scoring match between Benfica Lisbon and Ajax Amsterdam.
We assume that the Godenzones will put the pedal to the metal right from the start, which is why an early goal (before 27:00) is particularly popular at the Estádio da Luz.
Benfica Lisbon – Statistics & current form
Benfica Lisbon are admittedly Portugal’s record champions with a total of 37 national championships. However, after winning the last title in 2019, the Águias (in German: die Adler) first had to give way to FC Porto in the 2019/20 season before only finishing third last summer when city rivals Sporting CP took the title.
The Encarnados are also currently only third in the Liga NOS, where they are already twelve points behind FC Porto after 23 league games. Nélson Veríssimo’s men have won only five of their last eleven competitive matches at national level.
At the round of 16 for the first time in five years
The expectations for this Champions League round of 16 are accordingly high. The Águias have already won the European Champion Clubs’ Cup twice. Since the introduction of the top flight, however, they have always reached the quarter-finals at the latest.
The fact that the Encarnados have reached the knockout phase of the Champions League again for the first time since 2016/17 can certainly be seen as a success. In the preliminary round, they left none other than FC Barcelona behind them, who they dispatched 3-0 at home.
Six games without a clean sheet
The Águias’ big weapon here is undoubtedly their offence. In the Liga NOS, Nélson Veríssimo’s side has the best attack with 60 goals, but that has usually come at a price. In none of the last six national league matches was the defensive zero (nine goals conceded in total).
It will be correspondingly difficult for the Encarnados to withstand the offensive force of the Dutch. The Portuguese therefore already have the underdog role in the first leg.
Predicted line-up of Benfica Lisbon:
Vlachodimos – Grimaldo – Vertonghen – Otamendi – Lazaro – Everton – Weigl – Bernardo – Silva – Núnez – Ramos
Last matches played by Benfica Lisbon:
Liga Portugal
02/18 2022 – Boavista 2 – 2 Benfica
02/12 2022 – Benfica 2 – 1 Santa Clara
02/07 2022 – Tondela 1 – 3 Benfica
02/02 2022 – Benfica 1 – 2 Gil Vicente
Liga Cup
01/29 2022 – Benfica 1 – 2 Sporting CP
Ajax Amsterdam – Statistics & current form
Ajax Amsterdam celebrated a very convincing national championship already in the 2020/21 season with a 16-point lead over PSV Eindhoven and further extended their status as record champions with their 35th title.
It is true that Eindhoven kept pace for a long time in the new season. After 23 match days, however, they are once again five points ahead of their rivals. 18 of the 23 league games have been won, with the Godenzonen being the measure of all things in the Netherlands with 70 goals scored and only five conceded.
Still unbeaten in three visiting games at Benfica Lisbon
Erik ten Hag’s side have also come up trumps internationally, becoming the first Dutch team ever to win six consecutive matches in the top flight. If they can even win away in Lisbon, Ajax Amsterdam would be the first club not to play in Europe’s top five leagues to win seven consecutive European competition matches.
The Godenzones will travel to Lisbon’s Estádio da Luz suitably motivated, having not lost any of their three previous visits (one win, two draws).
Only one defeat in last 22 competitive matches
The momentum could hardly be greater for the Dutch record holders, who have won all seven of their competitive matches in the 2022 calendar year, scoring 27 goals to 1, and conceding just one in a 2-1 away win in Eindhoven.
Overall, the Godenzonen have lost just one of their last 22 matches (19 wins, two draws), with their goal-happy attack rarely taking long to net for the first time. With this in mind, it also makes a lot of sense to bet on an early goal in Benfica Lisbon Ajax Amsterdam betting.
Predicted line-up of Ajax Amsterdam:
Onana – Blind – Martínez – Timber – Mazraoui – Berghuis – Álvarez – Klaassen – Tadic – Antony – Halle
Last matches played by Ajax Amsterdam:
Eredivisie
02/19 2022 – Willem II Tilburg 0 – 1 Ajax Amsterdam
02/13 2022 – Ajax Amsterdam 5 – 0 Twente Enschede
KNVB Cup
02/09 2022 – Ajax Amsterdam 5 – 0 Vitesse Arnhem
Eredivisie
02/06 2022 – Ajax Amsterdam 3 – 0 Heracles Almelo
01/23 2022 – PSV Eindhoven 1 – 2 Ajax Amsterdam
Benfica Lisbon – Ajax Amsterdam Direct comparison / H2H record
Head to head: 1 – 2 – 4
The two teams have faced each other seven times in European competition, with Benfica Lisbon winning only their first ever meeting in Amsterdam. Most recently, Ajax Amsterdam remained unbeaten in six encounters with the Encarnados.
Benfica Lisbon – Ajax Amsterdam tip
In Benfica Lisbon vs Ajax Amsterdam, the overall prediction clearly goes in the direction of the Dutch, who are not only absolutely untouchable at domestic level, but have also recorded six wins in a row internationally. This contrasts with the Portuguese record champions, who entered the round of 16 with just two wins from six games and are already twelve points behind league leaders Porto in the Liga NOS.
Both teams have their strength in attack, which is why there could well be a spectacle at the Estádio da Luz. We expect the visitors to start with their usual pressure, which means there is a lot to be said for an early goal.
