Sporting Lisbon vs Ajax Predictions

• Sporting Lisbon haven’t lost at home since October 1st, 2020 (P25 W20 D5 since).
• Sporting Lisbon have won seven and drawn three of their last 12 Uefa matches against Dutch opponents.

Ajax unlikely to prevent Sporting’s surge

Ajax have been installed as the favourites to win their Champions League Group C opener in Lisbon on Wednesday night, but it won’t be easy.

The Portuguese haven’t lost a meaningful game since January with May’s 4-3 reverse in the Lisbon derby having followed three nights of intense partying to celebrate their first title in 19 years.

Ruben Amorim’s side haven’t lost at home for almost a year, so it might take something pretty special from Ajax to end that sequence.

Sporting may have just been held to their second 1-1 draw in succession, but they feel they had legitimate cases for two penalties and a red card for Pepe that were not given during Saturday’s Classico against Porto.

Since their 4-0 reverse to PSV in the Johan Cruijff  Schaal, Ajax have been racking up big wins against lower end Eredivisie opposition and it really can’t compare to the higher standards in Portugal’s top-flight.

That’s not to say the Amsterdam club can’t raise themselves as they did in this competition a few editions ago, but we think the safer play is to take the better odds on the home side.

Sporting tend to fare well against Dutch opposition and we believe they can run out narrow winners on Wednesday, by a scoreline of 2-1 as Ajax have scored in five of their last six European away games.