Ajax vs. FC Utrecht - prediction, team news, lineups

The penultimate play of this Eredivisie play pits Ajax against FC Utrecht astatine the Johan Cruyff Arena, with the hosts’ run precise overmuch undecided.

While Utrecht are acceptable to play successful the post-season European playoffs, the Amsterdam giants could look the aforesaid destiny arsenic Sunday’s visitors, extremity up successful the guaranteed Champions League spots, marque bash with the qualifying spot for Europe’s apical contention oregon request to suffice for the Europa League.

Match preview

Last week’s De Topper was tipped to beryllium goal-laden, with precise small separating Ajax and PSV Eindhoven, and truthful it proved arsenic it ended 2-2 successful Amsterdam, with Mika Godts — who else? — netting a 92nd-minute equaliser to widen De Joden’s unbeaten tally against their rivals to five.

While that effect preserved De Godenzonen’s unbeaten three-match sequence, interim brag Oscar Garcia volition beryllium alert of the permutations heading into the last 2 gameweeks of 2025-26.

Currently 4th successful the table, Ajax are guaranteed a imaginable Europa League spot via the 2nd qualifying round, but the Jews tin inactive purpose higher.

A spot and 1 constituent beneath third-placed NEC, Garcia’s broadside indispensable assertion maximum points from their last 2 matches against Utrecht connected Sunday and distant astatine Heerenveen adjacent play to person immoderate accidental of leapfrogging their Nijmegen rivals for a spot successful the Champions League 3rd qualifying round.

While determination remains a slim accidental of overtaking Feyenoord successful second, the Amsterdam outfit request Robin van Persie’s troops to suffer some games implicit the adjacent 2 rounds, having not been beaten successful 7 consecutive gameweeks.

The last possibility, though, volition not delight fans of the 36-time Eredivisie champions: finishing little than 4th could driblet them into the European playoffs, wherever the victor whitethorn lone get to vie successful the Conference League aft coming done the qualifying rounds.

Aiming to debar that dreaded outcome, the hosts volition anticipation to bushed Utrecht this play to stave disconnected contention from FC Twente, who are level with them connected 55 points heading into the last 2 games of the season.

That result volition necessitate Ajax to get the amended of this weekend’s opponents for the archetypal clip since 2024’s 2-0 occurrence successful Amsterdam.

Since that nonaccomplishment successful March of that year, Utreg person avoided decision successful the pursuing 3 meetings, securing wins connected location soil, including a 4-0 hammering of De Joden past season, portion drafting 2-2 successful the corresponding fixture astatine the Johan Cruyff Arena successful 2024-25.

It marked the archetypal clip since 2021 that Utrecht had avoided decision to Ajax successful Amsterdam, and they caput into Sunday alert of the anticipation of taking points disconnected De Joden connected consecutive visits, pursuing a 1-1 gully and a 1-0 triumph successful April and October 2021, respectively.

Nonetheless, the travelling supporters volition workout caution, fixed their past 2 league trips person resulted successful a 4-3 decision to Eredivisie champions PSV and a 5-0 hammering astatine relegation-threatened SBV Excelsior.

While that pounding was not helped by Matisse Didden’s sending-off astatine 1-0 down, the second-half illness that followed was discouraging.

Indeed, with Ron Jans’s broadside virtually definite to decorativeness nary little than ninth for a European playoff spot, unless they suffer their last 2 matches and 10th-placed Groningen overturn a six-point gap, it volition beryllium absorbing to spot however motivated Utrecht are up of Sunday’s sojourn to Amsterdam.

Ajax Eredivisie form:

FC Utrecht Eredivisie form:

Team News

Godts’s 17th Eredivisie extremity of the play earned Ajax a constituent against PSV successful De Topper, and the club’s starring marksman and lone subordinate successful the squad to deed treble figures this word aims to adhd to his awesome tally.

Oscar Gloukh and Wout Weghorst person been progressive successful 12 and 11 goals, respectively, highlighting the commendable supporting formed down the highly rated Belgian attacker.

Garcia is apt to beryllium without Owen Wijndal, Oleksandr Zinchenko (knee), Kian Fitz-Jim (shoulder), Vitezlav Jaros (knee) and Davy Klaassen (knee) for Sunday’s game.

Utrecht, meanwhile, person a surfeit of sidelined players: Miguel Rodriguez (knee), Emirhan Demircan (hamstring), Victor Jensen (knee), Jaygo van Ommeren (back), Oualid Agougil (knee) and Michael Brouwer (Achilles) are each connected the attraction table.

Although Souffian El Karouani has not added to his 10 assists since February, the wide defender’s guardant forays could wounded Ajax, portion Gjivai Zechiel — 8 goals, 4 assists — has enjoyed an admirable indebtedness spell from Feyenoord.

Ajax imaginable starting lineup:

Paes; Gaaei, Sutalo, Baas, Rosa; Gloukh, Itakura, Mokio; Berghuis, Weghorst, Godts 

FC Utrecht imaginable starting lineup:

Barkas; Vesterlund, Didden, Van der Hoorn, El Karouani; Engwanda, Zechiel; Alarcon, Karlsson, Cathline; Stepanov

We say: Ajax 3-2 FC Utrecht

With Godts successful superb form, Ajax whitethorn person capable attacking prime to borderline a tightly contested, high-scoring brushwood astatine the Johan Cruyff Arena, particularly with their request for maximum points apt to sharpen their focus.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.