Sturm Graz vs Ajax Predictions, Betting Tips and Match Previews

Ajax are aiming to secure a place in the next round of the Champions League, following their poor showing in this competition last year. They crashed out at the first hurdle when they met Nice last time out, and now the Dutch side have a chance to make up for that in this meeting with Sturm Graz on Wednesday. Can the Eredivisie giants build on a strong first leg display, or are we going to see the Austrian side launch a comeback in front of their own fans?

This is the hosts’ first Champions League tie in seven years, after crashing out against BATE in 2011. They are expected to drop out of the competition here too, after their 2-0 loss in Holland last time out. That was a comfortable victory for Ajax, but they’ll expect a tougher test in this game. The Dutch side were eliminated from both European competitions early on last season, and they’ll be desperate to avoid a similar fate this time around. Can they claim an away win this week?

The one advantage Ajax have here is that they kept a clean sheet last week. That means an away goal would be huge for the visitors, and that is good news for us. We shouldn’t expect a low scoring clash, with the visitors knowing that a goal would put this tie basically out of sight. They have the chance to secure a spot in the third qualifying round with a goal, and they’re likely to need a strike, based on their recent form in Europe.

Ajax were really entertaining in their Europa League run to the final in 2016/17, while there were problems at the back in both of their early European exits last season. Meanwhile, the Dutch side have seen both teams score in eight of their last nine matches in the Champions League. It’s landed in seven straight away trips for the Eredivisie side, who have one clean sheet in 13 trips in this competition.

Ajax saw BTTS in 65% of their domestic away days last season, and the hosts should be prepared to put up a fight after their first leg loss. We’re backing Sturm Graz to score as they look to start a fightback, but Ajax have enough attacking talent to get the better of the hosts in this tie. We’re backing BTTS as our main tip here, while we can see the visitors recording a 1-1 draw to book their place in the next round.