On Sunday, Ajax welcome FC Twente to the Johan Cruijff ArenA, hoping the football gods will grant them one final favour on the decisive final day of the 2024-25 Eredivisie season.
With the title race now out of their hands, all Ajax can do is focus on winning this match against the Tukkers and hope that PSV Eindhoven slip up in Rotterdam against Sparta.
Match preview
© Imago
If PSV successfully defend their title this weekend, the 2024-25 campaign will go down as one of the most dramatic collapses in Eredivisie history, marking a bitter end to a season Ajax had firmly in their grasp.
Needing just six points from their final five games, De Godenzonen were firm favourites to lift the Dutch title, but a 4-0 thrashing by Utrecht last month sparked a stunning capitulation, with Ajax having now taken just two points from their last four matches.
The hammer blow came in midweek away to Groningen, where Francesco Farioli's side took the lead through Anton Gaaei and regained it via Wout Weghorst after Thom van Bergen's equaliser, only to be denied all three points as the 10-man hosts dramatically levelled in stoppage time through Thijmen Blokzijl.
That result opened the door for PSV to swoop in, and the Boeren seized the opportunity with both hands, firing four past Heracles to storm into pole position in the league standings with just one game remaining.
While the mood around the Johan Cruijff ArenA is likely to be grim this weekend, Farioli has refused to throw in the towel just yet, insisting in his pre-match press conference that "anything can happen in football."
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Meanwhile, this match is something of a dead rubber for Twente, who, despite being just three points ahead of seventh-placed Go Ahead Eagles, will still finish above Kowet even if they lose, thanks to a superior head-to-head record.
After an excellent end to last year, the Tukkers' form in 2025 has been a mixed bag, with just six wins, five draws and five losses in their 16 games since the turn of the calendar, which has seen them slip out of Europa League contention.
Last week, Joseph Oosting's side squandered a 2-1 lead at home against AZ Alkmaar, conceding twice in the second half to suffer their fourth defeat in eight games, while only managing two wins during that stretch.
While the visitors would love nothing more than to add to Ajax's woes this weekend, they have struggled for positive results on the road lately, securing just one win in their last nine league outings since the start of December.
Team News
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Ajax will have to make do without Anton Gaaei this week, as the defender picked up his fifth yellow card of the season in the draw against Groningen, ruling him out of the final game of the season.
Brian Brobbey shook off a knock to feature in the last match and should continue to lead the line, but his attacking partner Oliver Edvardsen and young defender Youri Baas are both out through injury.
For Twente, Sem Steijn is almost certain to receive the Golden Boot for this season at the end of this match, and it will also be his last for the Tukkers, as he is set to join Feyenoord next term.
The visitors have three players ruled out for this trip to Amsterdam due to injury, including Sam Lammers (shoulder), Taylor Booth (muscle) and Naci Unuvar (unspecified), while Younes Taha is flagged as a doubt.
Ajax possible starting lineup:
Pasveer; Mokio, Hato, Sutalo, Rosa; Fitz-Jim, Henderson, Taylor; Traore, Brobbey, Godts
FC Twente possible starting lineup:
Unnerstall; Van Rooij, Hilgers, Van Hoorenbeeck, Kuipers; Kjolo, Sadilek; Rots, Steijn, Vlap; Van Wolfswinkel
We say: Ajax 2-1 FC Twente
While the mood around the Ajax camp is likely to be sombre this week, they still need to secure a result here in the hope that Sparta can come through with a much-needed favour. Though it may ultimately be in vain in terms of the title race, we feel the hosts will manage to end the season on a winning note.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Devesh Jaganath
