Ajax vs Dynamo Kiev Predictions

Ajax and Dynamo Keiv continue their push for the Champions League group stage this week, with both potentially 180 minutes from reaching the last 32 of the competition. Given the financial boost a group stage spot brings, these two could receive a huge boost based on their success in this play-off clash. They’ve each fought through the qualifiers to make it this far, and now one of them is set to claim one of the six spots still open in the group stage. Can Ajax get out in front in this first leg, or will Dynamo strike a huge blow?

Last season’s Eredivisie runners-up have made a strong start to their domestic campaign, claiming four points as they chase the Dutch title. However, their main focus has to be getting in to the Champions League group stage draw on the 30th of August. They’ve adapted to the competition much easier than 12 months ago, when they went out to Nice at the first hurdle. This time around they’ve won three and drawn one of four qualifiers, but can they continue that momentum against Dynamo Kiev?

The visitors have also started well in their domestic league, with four wins from four. They’ll head here full of confidence after that start, as they chase a return to the group stage. They last reached that stage in 2016, so this isn’t entirely new territory for the Ukrainian side. They went out in their opening qualifier last summer, but Dynamo have fared better this time around, with their 3-1 aggregate win over Slavia Prague taking them in to the play-off round. Can they go a step further and return to the group stage?

The visitors will be looking to build on their good start, and their form this season should worry Ajax. The Ukrainian side have won six of their seven games this season, winning the Super Cup, topping the table and progressing in Europe. They’re going to be a tough side to break down, as those six victories have all come with a clean sheet. Dynamo are really well organised, and that may pose a problem for the Dutch side.

Ajax aren’t hugely blessed going forward, they’ve scored a single goal in back to back league games. They’ve been slightly more free-flowing in Europe, but we expect them to tighten up, given what is at stake. They will be wary of conceding an away goal – given that defensive faults at home put them out of two European competitions last summer. Their home qualifiers this summer have brought two clean sheets, so we expect their defence to keep the score down too. We’re going for under 2.5 goals as our main tip here, while we see these two drawing 1-1 ahead of the second leg.