Eredivisie: Leaders Ajax face Feyenoord in top two battle
Published:
Lee Gormley | November 7, 2015
Feyenoord v Ajax
- Eredivisie
- Sunday, November 8th
- Kick-off: 13:30 GMT
- De Kuip, Rotterdam
- Live on Sky Sports 1
Top two face-off in early title clash
The Eredivisie title race heats up on Sunday as Frank de Boer’s leaders Ajax travel to Rotterdam to face fierce rivals and second-placed Feyenoord in a crucial early season encounter, with the hosts having not tasted victory in this fixture since January 2012.
Feyenoord are 6/5 with Coral to overturn that hapless De Klassieker run at De Kuip with a victory, while the travelling Amsterdam outfit are 21/10 to secure another three points, after opening a slender three-point lead at the summit table’s summit.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s hosts suffered a domestic setback last week in their bid to challenge Ajax for the country’s top-flight crown, as they narrowly lost 1-0 at the hands of ADO Den Haag, but the visitors come into this clash after a scoreless Europa League draw with Fenerbahce.
Feyenoord target home rule
The home side recently gained an advantage over their bitter rivals during a KNVB Cup clash, overcoming Ajax thanks to a late Joel Veltman own-goal.
Feyenoord boos Van Bronckhorst believes his side now hold the upper hand for this latest match-up, especially after De Boer’s visitors had to grind it out in a European meeting in midweek too.
“Ajax were unable to impose themselves late on against us, the same thing happened on Thursday evening,” Van Bronckhorst stated.
“Not playing European football means you have a bit more energy towards the end. It is an advantage, but Ajax will come here to play their own game. It’s up to us to stop them and leave the pitch at the end as victors.”
Contrasting form
Both sides come into the derby match-up on the back of contrasting form, with Feyenoord having dominantly secured victory in every home match this season in both league and cup encounters, including that Ajax triumph.
Meanwhile, De Godenzonen have endured mixed fortunes, after just wins in their previous five games in all competitions, though that featured a 6-0 hammering of Roda JC in their last domestic outing.
After 11 goals scored in their last three Eredivisie encounters, Ajax are 9/2 to win and both teams to score, with odds of 11/2 tempting for the visitors to strike three or more this time out.
Talented attackers on show
In the recent cup clash, despite both teams boasting an array of forward threats, it was ultimately an own-goal that decided matters. This time out though, proceedings should be different, with the two Dutch rivals ready to deploy their deadly respective strikeforces.
Poland international hitman Arkadiusz Milik has been in fine form this term, attracting interest from Premier League clubs such as Leicester City, and he is set to leads the Ajax line once again, alongside Viktor Fischer, with the pair having netted 10 league goals between them.
For the hosts, former Liverpool work horse Dirk Kuty has been in sensational form since returning to the Eredivisie, having dispatched 10 times in 11 domestic appearances. Michiel Kramer has enjoyed his campaign so far as well, striking four league goals, and Feyenoord are 3/1 to secure a home win with both teams getting on the scoresheet.
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