As Chelsea prepare for their landmark 200th Champions League fixture, they aim to secure back-to-back victories in the tournament when they host Ajax at Stamford Bridge this Wednesday evening.
Meanwhile, Ajax will be marking their 250th appearance in top-tier European competition, eager to claim their inaugural points of the current Champions League campaign.
Match Preview: Chelsea vs Ajax
After a tough opening loss to Bayern Munich, Chelsea bounced back impressively by narrowly defeating Benfica 1-0 in their second group match, effectively spoiling Jose Mourinho‘s return to the stadium.
This victory sparked a positive run for the Blues, who have since triumphed over Liverpool 2-1 and secured a commanding 3-0 win against Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.
Ajax, conversely, have struggled in Europe, suffering a home defeat to Inter Milan followed by a heavy 4-0 loss to Marseille in their subsequent group game.
The Dutch side’s domestic form has also been inconsistent, managing a last-minute equalizer in a 3-3 draw at Sparta Rotterdam before enduring a 2-0 home defeat to AZ Alkmaar last weekend.
Head-to-Head Record: Chelsea vs Ajax
This encounter marks the third competitive meeting between Chelsea and Ajax. To date, Ajax have yet to claim a victory against the London club, with Chelsea winning once and the other match ending in a draw.
Chelsea boast an impressive European home record, having lost only twice in their last 60 matches at this level. Additionally, they remain unbeaten in their last 15 Champions League group stage fixtures.
Team Updates Ahead of the Clash
Chelsea face a challenging injury list including Cole Palmer (groin), Levi Colwill (ACL), Benoit Badiashile (muscle strain), Dario Essugo (thigh), Liam Delap (hamstring), and Mykhaylo Mudryk, who is currently serving a doping suspension.
Midfielder Enzo Fernandez is doubtful due to a knee issue, while Moises Caicedo only managed to play one half in the recent match against Forest.
Ajax will be without left-back Owen Wijndal due to a muscle injury, while Branco van den Boomen is sidelined with a back problem, and Kasper Dolberg remains unavailable.
Projected Starting Lineups
Chelsea: Sanchez; James, Adarabioyo, Fofana, Cucurella; Gusto, Caicedo; Estevao, Buonanotte, Neto; Pedro
Ajax: Jaros; Gaaei, Sutalo, Baas, Rosa; Klaassen, Taylor; Edvardsen, Gloukh, Godts; Weghorst
Prediction and Betting Insights
Despite Chelsea not being at their peak form, they remain superior to Ajax, who are currently struggling to find consistency and experience fatigue. The Blues possess key players capable of exploiting Ajax’s vulnerabilities at this stage.
Predicted Scoreline: Chelsea 3-1 Ajax
The 3-1 score prediction is available at odds of nine on LiveScore Bet.
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