Ajax welcome the visitors Real Madrid in the Champions League Play-offs – 1/8 Finals. The match will be held on Wednesday, February, 13th, at the Johan Cruijff Arena (Amsterdam).
Frankly speaking, we consider both Dutch and Portuguese sides gewgaw when it comes to the Champions League Play-offs… The hosting Ajax live and breathe in the national Eredivisie that seems to be a joke. First they win with scorelines of 6:0 and 8:0, then they concede, 2:6. Such a side are hard to take serious and evaluate. This is because the Dutch elite division suggests that the team running 6th or 7th can easily allow nearly 10 goals per match. We certainly should mind the one-and-a-half-week-back encounter wherein Ajax were smashed by Feyenoord, 2:6. Though the latter are significantly behind the top tiers, they are the only side that look decent alongside Ajax and PSV, as the other contenders present nothing. We can’t even imagine how they could possibly be downed by any middle-class team from the UK or Spain. It is not easy to refocus from a match in which one score 5-6 goals to a match with a real opponent who know how to play. The clash against Feyenoord illustrated this well.
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As far as the visiting Real Madrid are concerned, they are certainly on the way back to their authentic greatness! They registered 4 consecutive wins in their national competition, featured a crucial (in terms of psychological boosting) cup draw against Barcelona, yet on the Catalans’ turf. This means a lot! Most of the players have recovered, and Solari can finally play as he wants, without adjusting to the losses that his men suffered throughout almost all first term. Real still have issues in defense, they rarely keep clean sheets; but their attacking performers are great – the guests consistently score 3-4 goals per match now. At last, the Bale and Benzema duet have started to play as they were expected yet in the start of the season. Real are certainly different now – this is not the team that won the Champions League three times in a row. They are unlikely to get the trophy this year, but they must pass an opponent like Ajax – the experience and class are on their side.
The travelling outfit are presently stronger than they used to be when they suffered disgraceful losses to the teams of CSKA’s caliber. In the coming fixture, Real are quite capable of winning Ajax both in the 1st half-time and overall. We’re betting on their victory tomorrow.
Prediction for the match: Real Madrid to win away.
