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NEC - Ajax
Netherlands Eredivisie - Goffertstadion
Prediction 1
Ajax to Win
69/50 (1.38)
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Odds from
Prediction 2
BTTS - No
21/10 (2.10)
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Odds from
* Betting odds were correct at the time of publication but are subject to change.
NEC Nijmegen vs Ajax Predictions
Ajax is coming into the final part of the season focused on achieving a single goal, and winning the title and the first opposition on that road is NEC Nijmegen.
Contents
Ajax to Win
The Amsterdam team failed to win each of their last three games, so the World Cup break seem to come at the right time. Their forward line was the best throughout the first 14 games of the season but failed to capture the ambition in games that they should have won. NEC is a team that played the most draw games this season, eight of them, but somehow it feels Ajax won't be the ninth.
Both Teams to Score – No
In their last five h2h matches, NEC failed to score a goal on three occasions. Their defense throughout the season is solid, but their attack lacks true power. It is going to be interesting whether they can overcome those weaknesses and surprise Ajax.
Stats and Markets for NEC Nijmegen against Ajax
Here are the top stats for the game along with a tool to help you pick the best odds.
Head to Head
23/04/22
Netherlands Eredivisie Netherlands
NEC
Ajax
0
1
14/08/21
Netherlands Eredivisie Netherlands
Ajax
NEC
5
0
08/04/17
Netherlands Eredivisie Netherlands
NEC
Ajax
1
5
20/11/16
Netherlands Eredivisie Netherlands
Ajax
NEC
5
0
13/03/16
Netherlands Eredivisie Netherlands
Ajax
NEC
2
2
Last Five - NEC
05/02/23
Netherlands Eredivisie Netherlands
Go Ahead Eagles
NEC
1
0
L
28/01/23
Netherlands Eredivisie Netherlands
Sparta Rotterdam
NEC
1
1
D
25/01/23
Netherlands Eredivisie Netherlands
Feyenoord
NEC
2
0
L
21/01/23
Netherlands Eredivisie Netherlands
FC Emmen
NEC
1
3
W
15/01/23
Netherlands Eredivisie Netherlands
Vitesse
NEC
0
0
D
Last Five - Ajax
05/02/23
Netherlands Eredivisie Netherlands
Cambuur Leeuwarden
Ajax
0
5
W
29/01/23
Netherlands Eredivisie Netherlands
Excelsior
Ajax
1
4
W
26/01/23
Netherlands Eredivisie Netherlands
FC Volendam
Ajax
1
1
D
22/01/23
Netherlands Eredivisie Netherlands
Feyenoord
Ajax
1
1
D
14/01/23
Netherlands Eredivisie Netherlands
FC Twente
Ajax
0
0
D
This is how the markets are shaping up for this match:
NEC Nijmegen odds: 11/2 (6.50) – 15.4%
Draw odds: 6/1 (6.00) – 14.3%
Ajax odds: 4/11 (1.36) – 73.3%
Ajax is an overwhelming favorite to win the game, but other options can give you some extra boost when it comes to odds: Ajax's Winning margin by 2 can give you odds of 43/10 (4.30) – 18.9%. Halftime/Halftime option for Draw/Ajax will give you a cool 21/5 (4.20) – 19.2%.
Predicted Lineups, Team News, and Preview
NEC Nijmegen
NEC has been playing draws so much that many expected them to do so every week. There was a streak of seven straight matches with a draw that was eventually stopped. They may not be winning all that much, but they do get points and because of all these draws, and only three losses, they are ninth in the rankings. NEC has a goal difference of 19-16 which shows that they don't have enough firepower up front, but they do have a good defensive wall that is hard to breach. The Nijmegen team played only one friendly match during the entire two-month hiatus, and they lost to fellow Eredivisie team Emmen. Even though they are a low-scoring team, they did have some impressive games lately with plenty of goals. Especially the last match before the World Cup break when they trashed RKC Waalwijk by 6-1. That was uncharacteristic from their side. Mathias De Wolf is the only injury concern for coach Rogier Meijer.
Predicted lineup: Cillessen, El Karouani, Sandler, Marquez, van Rooij, Tannane, Proper, Schone, Cissoko, Dimata, Mattsson.
Ajax
The only thing that matters right now for Ajax is to start the last phase of the season on a winning note. As they do with most of the teams in the Netherlands, Ajax has good experience playing against NEC. The last time they lost to the Nijmegen side was back in 2005. In three of the last four matches between these sides, Ajax scored five goals. The last time they played in Nijmegen, Ajax won by a single goal. The Amsterdam team is the most efficient club in the Eredivisie with 44 goals. Steven Bergwijn and Brian Brobbey are the leading scorers with eight goals apiece. Dusan Tadic is their captain, and he has the most assists with nine on the record. Games like this one often decide who wins the title, and Ajax lost too many points to teams that are very similar to NEC when it comes to quality. Ahmetcan Kaplan is the only injury concern for the visitors.
Predicted lineup: Pasveer, Rensch, Timber, Bassey, Wijndal, Berghuis, Alvarez, Taylor, Tadic, Brobbey, Bergwijn.
Starting lineups
Starting lineups are usually released 60 minutes before kick-off.
NEC
Ajax
Player to Watch: Steven Bergwijn
The 25-year-old wing player arrived at the club last summer from Tottenham where he didn't put up the numbers that the Tottenham club hoped he would. Interestingly, in 2011 he was in the Ajax Youth system before transferring to PSV where he spent the next eight years before joining Tottenham. In his first season with Ajax, he scored eight league goals and an additional two in the Champions League.
Netherlands Eredivisie
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | +/- | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Feyenoord | 20 | 12 | 7 | 1 | 27 | 43 |
| 2 |  AZ | 20 | 12 | 5 | 3 | 16 | 41 |
| 3 | Ajax | 20 | 11 | 7 | 2 | 35 | 40 |
| 4 |  PSV | 20 | 12 | 3 | 5 | 24 | 39 |
| 5 |  FC Twente | 20 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 19 | 37 |
| 6 |  Sparta Rotterdam | 20 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 13 | 34 |
| 7 |  FC Utrecht | 20 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 33 |
| 8 |  Heerenveen | 20 | 7 | 6 | 7 | -2 | 27 |
| 9 |  RKC | 20 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 26 |
| 10 | NEC | 20 | 4 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 23 |
| 11 |  Fortuna Sittard | 20 | 6 | 5 | 9 | -8 | 23 |
| 12 |  Go Ahead Eagles | 20 | 5 | 7 | 8 | -7 | 22 |
| 13 |  Vitesse | 20 | 4 | 8 | 8 | -12 | 20 |
| 14 |  Excelsior | 20 | 6 | 2 | 12 | -23 | 20 |
| 15 |  FC Volendam | 20 | 4 | 5 | 11 | -23 | 17 |
| 16 |  FC Emmen | 20 | 3 | 7 | 10 | -19 | 16 |
| 17 |  FC Groningen | 20 | 3 | 4 | 13 | -20 | 13 |
| 18 |  Cambuur Leeuwarden | 20 | 3 | 3 | 14 | -24 | 12 |
Notes about NEC Nijmegen vs Ajax
- When is the match starting? – 13:30 BST, 14:30 CET
- Who will referee the match? – Pol van Boekel
- When was the last time NEC beat Ajax? – In 2005 with a score of 1-0
