On Wednesday, Ajax travel to Euroborg to face Groningen, needing to hold their nerve and bounce back after a painful defeat last week that blew the Eredivisie title race wide open.
Heading into their penultimate match of the campaign, Ajax are now leading the league standings by a single point, while Groningen could move into the top eight with a win this week.
Match preview
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Questions are mounting over whether Ajax are on the verge of throwing away the league title, after enduring a third straight match without victory in a frustrating weekend loss at home against NEC.
Despite dominating the match for large periods, maintaining 65% of possession and having 22 attempts at goal, only four of Ajax's shots were on target, and the team evidently lacked an attacking spark with Brian Brobbey and Oliver Edvardsen sidelined.
The result not only marked the first time De Godenzonen had ever lost to NEC at the Johan Cruijff ArenA in the top flight, but it also saw their lead at the top of the league slashed to just one point following PSV's dramatic victory over Feyenoord.
Additionally, it was the first time Francesco Farioli's side failed to win three consecutive matches since February 2024, and the eight goals they conceded during this rough patch are more than they had allowed in their previous 15 league games combined since mid-December.
The nerves will be rife once again for the visitors this week, but they will take some comfort from their record in this fixture, having beaten this opponent in each of their last six encounters, including a 3-1 victory in the reverse fixture back in October.
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Meanwhile, Groningen have enjoyed an excellent return to the top flight, sitting on 38 points with two games remaining and still holding an outside shot at qualifying for European competition next season.
However, after two stunning victories in which Trots van het Noorden racked up a combined 10 goals, they were brought back down to earth with a sobering 3-0 defeat to AZ over the weekend.
That marked Dick Lukkien's side's fourth loss in six matches, with the team conceding three or more goals in each of those defeats, and they have yet to keep a clean sheet since returning from the March international break.
Still, the hosts will believe they have a genuine chance of taking something from this clash, owing to Ajax's recent struggles and their own strong home form, having lost just once in their last 11 league outings at the Euroborg - and that defeat came against PSV.
Team News
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Groningen will be without at least two players for this match, with Maxim Mariani (knock) and Fofin Turay (Achilles) ruled out through injury, while Mats Seuntjens is flagged as a minor doubt.
Wouter Prins got minutes off the bench for a second successive match over the weekend since returning from injury, and he could sneak into the starting 11 in midweek, potentially in place of Marco Rente.
For the visitors, Brian Brobbey pulled out of the last match with an ankle injury, and his availability for this one is uncertain, which could see Wout Weghorst continue to lead the line alongside Steven Berghuis.
Ajax have four players ruled out for this trip to Groningen, including Oliver Edvardsen (knee), Branco van den Boomen (back), Youri Baas (groin) and long-term absentee Amourricho Van Axel-Dongen (ankle).
Groningen possible starting lineup:
Vaessen; Prins, Ekdal, Blokzijl, Peersman; Bacuna, Resink; Kwakman, Valente, Schreuders; Van Bergen
Ajax possible starting lineup:
Pasveer; Gaaei, Sutalo, Rugani, Hato; Klaassen, Henderson, Taylor; Traore, Weghorst, Berghuis
We say: Groningen 1-2 Ajax
Ajax have made hard work of the title race in recent weeks, and there is bound to be some nerves in the camp heading into this fixture, but with six straight wins against Groningen and a clear need to respond, we feel they will do just enough to secure a crucial victory in this one.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Devesh Jaganath
