Ajax vs Borussia Dortmund

Ajax and Borussia Dortmund will battle it out for a top place in the UEFA Champions League Group C when they lock horns at the Johan Cruyff Arena.

Ajax have been nothing short of outstanding in their early Champions League exchanges this season, having brushed aside Sporting Lisbon 5-1 in their Group C opener before easing past Besiktas 2-0 last time out. Another victory here would see the ‘Lancers’ win their opening three Champions League fixtures for the first time since 1995/96, which could be a good omen as that was also the last time they reached the grand final. However, after winning their first two Champions League meetings with Dortmund, the Eredivisie giants have lost their last two H2Hs in the competition by an aggregate score of 5-1, including a 4-1 thrashing at the Johan Cruyff Arena. Yet, it’s worth mentioning that except for that H2H fiasco, Ajax haven’t lost any of their remaining 16 European home clashes against German visitors (W14, D2).

Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund claimed a tight 2-1 away win over Besiktas to get things started in Group C before eking out a narrow 1-0 home victory over Sporting Lisbon on Matchday 2. That triumph remains Dortmund’s solitary clean sheet across their last 11 matches in all competitions, highlighting their defensive woes under current boss Marco Rose. In turn, they’ve won both previous Champions League visits to the Netherlands without a shutout, though they’ve netted 3+ goals on each occasion. Yet, those two wins are part of Dortmund’s indifferent historical record against Dutch opponents in European football (W3, D3, L3), meaning this is unlikely to be another day in the office for ‘Die Borussen.’ The visitors can at least fall back on their impressive away form in the Champions League, having won four of their last five travels in the competition (L1).