Real Madrid v Ajax betting tips: Can Ajax continue Real’s home woes?
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Preview and odds for Champions League clash
Real Madrid will be hoping to put their recent home struggles aside when they host Ajax tonight.
There’s a Champions League quarter-final spot up for grabs this evening, and Real hold the advantage after a somewhat fortunate 2-1 win in Amsterdam last month.
But the 13-time European champions have lost their last three games at the Santiago Bernabeu. Can Los Blancos keep a young and vibrant Ajax side at bay?
It should be an intriguing contest, and it kicks off at 8:00pm, live on BT Sport 3…
Head-to-head
Real’s 2-1 win last month was their seventh straight victory over Ajax, in a run stretching back to 2010.
Ajax have won two of the six visits to the Bernabeu, but have lost each of their last three by an aggregate 9-1 scoreline.
As mentioned, Real go into this one having lost their last three at home, while their Dutch visitors have bounced back by that first-leg defeat to win three domestic games on the spin.
Likely XIs
Luka Modric has admitted that the loss of Cristiano Ronaldo last summer has left Real struggling for goals at times, but they’ve still got bags of quality up front.
Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale and Vinicius Junior started up front in Amsterdam, and though that trio struggled to make an impact in last week’s double defeat to Barcelona, they should be Santiago Solari’s chosen trio tonight.
Solari will be without Sergio Ramos however, as the Real skipper begins a two-game ban for deliberately receiving a yellow card.
Dusan Tadic is set to lead the line for Ajax, with David Neres and Hakim Zyiech in support. The Barcelona-bound Frenkie de Jong will look to be the visitor’s driving force from midfield.
Key battles
Ajax were mightily unlucky in the first leg. They peppered Thibaut Courtois’ goal with 19 shots last month, and had Real’s defence running ragged for large spells.
They’ll be buoyed by Ramos’ absence tonight, while Madrid’s Bernabeu losing streak will give them further hope.
It’s still advantage Real, though. The La Liga side know that Ajax must score at least twice tonight, and that could see Benzema, Bale and Vinicius pile forward on the counter should Ajax leave their defence exposed.
Match odds
Madrid are 8/13 to win this one the 90 minutes, with 4/1 about an Ajax victory. But the qualifying market tells the real story, with Real at 1/10 to progress and the Amsterdam hopefuls out at 11/2.
Bale and Benzema head up the first goalscorer betting, with the pair each 7/2 to break the deadlock in the Spanish capital.
Kasper Dolberg and former Madrid striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar share 7/1 first goalscorer favouritism for Ajax, ahead of Tadic at 15/2.
Marco Asensio bagged in the first leg, and the midfielder can be backed at 15/8 to net anytime this evening.
Ajax’s remit is simple tonight; they must score at least twice or they’re definitely out. Our traders go 31/20 about the Dutch side netting two or more.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing
