Off the back of a Champions League defeat to Olympiacos, Ajax head to Stadion Woudestein on Sunday for their clash against Excelsior in round 21 of the 2025-26 Eredivisie season.
Both teams are unbeaten across their last three league matches, although the hosts have managed just three points from a possible nine, four fewer than their visitors.
Contents
- 1 Excelsior vs Ajax prediction: Ajax to temporarily go second with a victory
- 2 Most recent H2Hs: Excelsior unbeaten in three
- 3 Excelsior preview: Veteran defender Mike van Duinen facing a spell on the sidelines
- 4 Ajax preview: Ko Itakura to miss first league match since November
- 5 Player to watch – Mika Godts
Excelsior vs Ajax prediction: Ajax to temporarily go second with a victory
Key stats
- Excelsior are without a win in their last four outings.
- Games involving the home side in recent weeks have been relatively mild-tempered, with all of the last five producing fewer than five cautions.
- Ajax are unbeaten in their last seven league games since the start of December.
- Eight of the Amsterdam giants' last nine matches have yielded at least three goals.
Correct score prediction: Excelsior 1-3 Ajax
Ajax's nine away matches so far have produced the second-most goals in the Eredivisie this term (37), and another entertaining affair is on the cards this weekend.
While we expect Excelsior to play their part in a thrilling contest, we are backing Ajax to get the job done with relative ease.
Pre-game odds and win probability: All roads lead to an Ajax victory
- HOME: 3/1 (4.00) – 25%
- DRAW: 29/10 (3.90) – 25.6%
- AWAY: 4/5 (1.80) – 55.6%
*Odds from Ladbrokes, subject to change
Despite being on the receiving end of a 6-0 thrashing against AZ Alkmaar in their last domestic assignment on the road, Ajax retain the bookies' confidence to come out on top this weekend with an away win currently priced at 4/5 (1.80).
Fred Grim's men will seek to bounce back from a 2-1 defeat on European duty last time out, courtesy of Santiago Hezze's 79th-minute winner after Gelson Martin's opener was cancelled out from the spot by Kasper Dolberg.
Having lost half of their 10 league home matches so far, Excelsior face an uphill task to avoid defeat on Sunday, let alone come away with maximum points.
Ruben den Uil's men played out a goalless stalemate against Twente on Saturday to extend an uninspiring unbeaten run to three matches.
For more from the upcoming matches, today’s free football betting tips look at some of the best picks.
Most recent H2Hs: Excelsior unbeaten in three
After draws in both of last season's league encounters, Excelsior claimed a 2-1 triumph in November's reverse fixture for their first competitive victory over Ajax since 2007.
The Rotterdam-based side now go in search of back-to-back victories over this weekend's opponents.
Netherlands Eredivisie 22/11/25
Ajax
Excelsior
Netherlands Eredivisie 24/04/24
Ajax
Excelsior
Netherlands Eredivisie 19/08/23
Excelsior
Ajax
Netherlands Eredivisie 29/01/23
Excelsior
Ajax
Netherlands Eredivisie 16/10/22
Ajax
Excelsior
Excelsior preview: Veteran defender Mike van Duinen facing a spell on the sidelines
Van Duinen was substituted off with an injury scare in the penultimate minute of Excelsior's draw at Twente, and while it is unclear how long he will be out for, this weekend's clash should come too soon for the Dutchman.
Predicted lineup: Van Gassel (GK), Bronkhorst, Widell, Meissen, Zagre, Yegoian, Hartjes, Fernandes, Naujoks, De Regt & Bergraaf
Excelsior's last five matches:
- Twente 0-0 Excelsior (Eredivisie)
- AZ Alkmaar 1-1 Excelsior (Eredivisie)
- Excelsior 2-2 Telstar (Eredivisie)
- PSV 5-1 Excelsior (Eredivisie)
- Excelsior 2-1 Zwolle (Eredivisie)
Ajax preview: Ko Itakura to miss first league match since November
Itakura has featured in each of Ajax's last seven matches but is unavailable to play this weekend due to injury.
Coincidentally, the last Eredivisie game in which Itakura did not feature was against Excelsior.
Predicted lineup: Jaros (GK), Wijndal, Baas, Bouwman, Gaaei, Steur, Regeer, Klaassen, Godts, Dolberg & Gloukh
Ajax's last five matches:
- Ajax 1-2 Olympiacos (Champions League)
- Ajax 2-0 Volendam (Eredivisie)
- Villarreal 1-2 Ajax (Champions League)
- Ajax 2-2 Go Ahead Eagles (Eredivisie)
- AZ Alkmaar 6-0 Ajax (KNVB Beker)
Player to watch – Mika Godts
With eight goals and seven assists in the league, Godts has been Ajax's most influential player at the top end of the pitch this term.
The Dutchman drew a blank in his most recent Eredivisie outing against Volendam, but had notched two goals and two assists in his four outings before that.