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Ajax are back in action in the Eredivisie when they journey to the Euroborg Stadium to face Groningen on Sunday afternoon. Michel’s men were handed an opening-day defeat in the Conference League on Thursday, while the home side made it two league wins from two with a dominant team display last time out.
Read our Groningen vs Ajax preview, prediction and betting tips below, while you can also find more of our expert predictions on today's betting tips page.
Groningen vs Ajax key stats
- Ajax have opened the scoring in six of their last seven matches against Groningen and have led at half time in eight of their 10 meetings since March 2021.
- Groningen are unbeaten in seven of their last nine Eredivisie home games, picking up five wins and two draws since the start of March.
- Ajax are without a clean sheet in their last six games across all competitions, with each of the six games seeing BTTS.
Groningen vs Ajax: Ajax in need of a lift after poor midweek display in Europe
Groningen vs Ajax — Tale of the Tape
| Groningen | vs | Ajax |
|---|---|---|
| 6th | Position | 5th |
| 14 | Points | 15 |
| 20 | Goals For | 22 |
| 14 | Goals Against | 10 |
| 1 | Clean Sheets | 2 |
| 6th | Home / Away Rank | 3rd |
After weeks of mediocre results, Groningen have steadied their ship with a run of two wins from their last two games, with Dick Lukkien’s men thrashing Excelsior 5-1 last Saturday to record their biggest victory this season.
With Stijn van Gassel also netting an own goal in the 36th minute, strikes from Thom van Bergen, Brynjolfur Darri Willumsson and a brace from Marco Rente saw the visitors sink Excelsior at the Stadion Woudestein.
This followed a 3-0 victory over PEC Zwolle at the Euroborg Stadium just before the international break on September 18, when Van Bergen, Jorg Schreuders and Tygo Land all hit the target to end Groningen’s run of four consecutive league games without a win.
Coming off the back of a ninth-placed finish last season, early signs suggest Trots van het Noorden could be in for a more encouraging campaign, as they sit sixth in the Eredivisie standings with 14 points from the first eight games, level on points with seventh-placed Fortuna Sittard.
While Groningen will be aiming to secure a third win on the trot for the first time since September 2025, this weekend’s fixture sees them go up against an opposing side who are unbeaten in nine of their most recent 10 meetings, claiming eight wins and one draw since March 2021.
On the other hand, Ajax left Croatia empty-handed on Thursday as they fell to a 2-1 defeat against Hajduk Split in their 2026-27 Conference League curtain-raiser at the Poljud Stadium.
Ajax went into the break one goal behind after Abdoulie Sanyang Bamba struck in the 37th minute to put Hajduk Split in front, and after Davy Klaassen restored parity in the 53rd minute, Marin Soticek hit back for the hosts two minutes later to sink the Dutch outfit.
This was in keeping with a slight decline back home, with Michel’s men dropping four points from the last six available in the Eredivisie after playing out a 2-2 stalemate with Excelsior on September 19, before being held to a 1-1 draw by NEC Nijmegen last Saturday.
However, the stalemate against Nijmegen means Ajax are unbeaten in seven of their opening eight Eredivisie games, picking up four wins and three draws to sit fifth in the league standings, but a win could see them move level with Feyenoord at the top of the table.
Groningen vs Ajax form guide & betting tips
| Groningen | vs | Ajax |
|---|---|---|
| LDDWW | Eredivisie Form | LWWDD |
| 6th | Form table | 7th |
| 8 | Points | 8 |
| 13 | Goals For | 14 |
| 7 | Goals Against | 8 |
| LDDWW | Form (All Comps) | WWDDL |
Whispers’ prediction: Groningen 1-2 Ajax
Eight of the last 10 meetings between Groningen and Ajax have seen at least three goals scored, and we predict over 2.5 goals at the Euroborg Stadium, which currently sits at 9/25 (1.36).
The midweek loss in the Conference League handed Ajax a reality check, but their superior quality across the pitch should see them get all three points against the Trots van het Noorden, which is currently priced at 9/10 (1.90) by the bookies.
With six of the last eight meetings between Groningen and Ajax seeing both sides score, Ajax to win + BTTS – Yes at 187/100 (2.87) is a favourable high-value punt, while the correct score market has a correct score of 1-2 at 17/2 (9.5).
> Over 2.5 goals – Yes at 33/50 (1.66) | Likelihood: Possible
> Ajax + BTTS – Yes at 57/100 (1.57) | Likelihood: Possible
> Correct score: 1-2 at 17/2 (9.5) | Likelihood: Outsider