Chelsea welcome Ajax to Stamford Bridge later this evening on Matchday 3 of the Champions League.
The Blues are looking to consolidate a place towards the top of the League Phase table after beating Benfica 1-0 last time out.
As for Ajax, this game is all about showing some fight following their 4-0 defeat at Marseille on Matchday 2.
It is certainly an intriguing match in prospect, and here is our full betting preview for Chelsea vs Ajax, featuring the latest football odds from our website and app.
And if you wish to place a Bet Builder on this contest, our latest Champions League Offer will see you credited with a £5 Free Bet, so long as the £10 BB wager meets the qualification rules.
Where can I watch Chelsea vs Ajax in the UK?
Chelsea vs Ajax will be broadcast live on TNT Sports 2 and Discovery+, with kick-off scheduled for 8pm UK time.
Chelsea vs Ajax Preview
After back-to-back Premier League defeats against Manchester United (2-1) and Brighton (1-3), Chelsea are back in form.
The Blues beat Nottingham Forest 3-0 away from home on the weekend, extending their winning run to three matches in all competitions after triumphs over Benfica and Liverpool.
Even without injured talisman Cole Palmer, Chelsea look to be hitting their stride, and they will be expecting a comfortable win against Ajax.
Although, the Blues will have to achieve that feat without Joao Pedro following his late red card against Benfica, so Marc Guiu looks nailed on to start this match after an impressive cameo against Forest. Moises Caicedo should also return to the starting XI following his appearance from the bench at the City Ground, but Enzo Fernandez remains a fitness doubt.
As for Ajax, they are really not finding their mojo under the guidance of John Heitinga, and enter this fixture sitting third in the Eredivisie with only four wins from nine matches.
Granted, four of the other five games at least finished as a draw, but Ajax did suffer a first league defeat of the season last Saturday, losing 2-0 at home to AZ Alkmaar.
Worringly, Heitinga’s men have picked up just one win (2-1 vs NAC Breda) in the last six matches across all competitions, a run which started with the 2-0 defeat to Inter Milan on Matchday 1.
And key figures in Oscar Wijndal, Branco van den Boomen and Kasper Dolberg are all set to miss out with injury later this evening, with the latter’s absence almost guaranteeing a start for Wout Weghorst on his return to England.
These two sides met for the first time in the 2019-20 Champions League group stage, with the match at Stamford Bridge finishing in an epic 4-4 draw.
Chelsea vs Ajax Odds
*All odds are subject to change
Chelsea are massive favourites to claim the win here, priced as low as 1.24. A victory for Ajax is at long odds of 11.00, while the draw is 6.70.
Chelsea vs Ajax Betting Tips
Player will score and his team will win – Pedro Neto @ 3.19
Neto is close to a guaranteed pick in Maresca’s first-choice Chelsea XI, and he also scored in last Saturday’s win at Forest. So tipping a player full of confidence, and the most likely match outcome, as part of a pre-made combo feels a sensible course of action to us.
A substitute will score – Yes @ 2.00
Even with a few injuries, Chelsea have plenty of players to call upon from the bench. Against Forest, Guiu, Estevao and Jamie Gittens all came on as substitutes, which is quite a display of squad depth. With Ajax lacking confidence and defensive stability, a second-half cameo from a Chelsea player may very well yield a goal.
Yellow cards total – Over 4.5 @ 2.25
Matches involving Chelsea usually result in the referee brandishing plenty of cards. Amazingly, the Blues have had a player sent off in four of the last six matches! Furthermore, these two teams have collected 10 yellow cards between them in the Champions League, which as a combined total works out at five per match.
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