Both teams will score is our bet in this Champion League game on Wednesday 10 of April 2019.
Very interesting match to wait. And difficult:
- Ronaldos being or not being a heavy factor (playing well, but is he 100?).
- How does Ajax see the match – full speed ahead as against Real Madrid?
- Juventus approach? Careful and defensive or aggressive and goal-oriented?
- It is the CL quarter-finals with everything it entails. A held zero is after all quite good for both teams.
Earlier during the week, we were thinking under 2.5 goals, but the question marks above make us uncertain. Ronaldo has appeared more than once with a hat trick. Then it is not possible to get away from the fact that Dutch teams tend to defend itself weakly at times.
Historically, Ajax has scored in 19 of the last 20 home games in this tournament. In the CL context this season, they have scored goals in all matches except for AEK Athens and at home against Benfica. Against PSV, the only domestic team with quality similar to the other Champions League teams have Ajax let in goals in both games.
What we feel most confident about in terms of match image is that Ajax will try to take the command with its fine offensive.
- Attack trio Tadic, Ziyech and Neres are sharp and good for real.
- Attacks with the entire team with offensive outsides. There is a home team advantage helping the team producing a good result in 90 plus additions here. Has scored goals in all CL matches this season. The Italians have also released some goals in the league lately.
- Juventus is usually quite comfortable with letting the opponent have a ball.
- Allegri is a pragmatic coach who is supposed to be quite okay with such a match picture.
- Whether Ronaldo comes into play or not, there are offensive weapons in the team: Mandzukic, Dybala, Bernardeschi, Pjanic and others. should be able to hurt the Dutch.
- Juventus created a lot of opportunities against Atlético Madrid.
After all, rarely go without goals and have the ability to be clinical when opportunities are given in such matches.
Possible teams:
Ajax
Onana; Tagliafico, Blind, De Ligt, Veltman; De Jong, Van de Beek, Schöne; Neres, Tadić, Ziyech
Juventus:
Szczęsny; The Sciglio, Bonucci, Rugani, Alex Sandro; Betancur, Pjanić, Matuidi; Bernardeschi; Mandžukić, Ronaldo
We think Ajax will take command and that their speedy offensive should suffice for a goal here. At the same time, it is never possible to ignore Juventus in such situations. We can see a match where Ajax gets a lot of chances and takes the lead but where Juventus via an individual achievement acknowledges 1-1 and then rides it out at home.