On Tuesday, September 30, at the iconic Velodrome, Olympique Marseille will host Ajax in one of the most exciting fixtures of Matchday 2 of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League. Both teams are chasing their first victory in the competition, having lost their opening matches against Real Madrid and Inter Milan. The home side performed well against the Blancos, taking the lead through Weah before succumbing to Mbappe’s decisive brace. The slip-up in the Bernabeu forces De Zerbi’s men to beat Ajax at home to maintain momentum and keep their hopes alive of qualifying for the Round of 16. The Dutch runners-up arrive with the same objective: to secure a win and avoid being stuck at zero points after the first two matches, while redeeming themselves following a heavy home defeat against Inter. Even though it is only Matchday 2, it is fair to say that for both teams this is a sort of do-or-die game: the winner can significantly boost their qualification chances, while the loser will see their hopes of reaching the minimum goal—advancing to the knockout stage—diminish.

Olympique Marseille's Recent Form and Key Statistics

Olympique Marseille are in excellent form, coming off two consecutive wins, including the highly anticipated Classique against Paris Saint-Germain on September 22.

In their last Ligue 1 match, Roberto De Zerbi’s side defeated Strasbourg 2-1, confirming their second place in the standings with 12 points after six matches (4 wins, 2 losses).

Looking at the last five games, Marseille have 3 wins and 2 losses, scoring an average of 1.6 goals per match while conceding 0.8, keeping two clean sheets against Lorient and PSG. Key players in form include Greenwood and Aubameyang, who have scored 2 and 3 goals respectively this season.

The French side have an excellent home record, winning all of their last 7 matches at the Velodrome. This season, prior to their 1-0 victory over PSG, they had secured 5-2 and 4-0 wins against Paris FC and Lorient, respectively.

Ajax's Recent Form and Key Statistics

Ajax arrive in Marseille with only one defeat in their first eight matches of the season, that coming in the Champions League opener against Inter Milan.

In their most recent Eredivisie match on September 27, the Lancers won 2-1 at home against Breda, moving closer to the top positions. Goals were scored by new signing Gloukh and Taylor, with Van Hooijdonk netting for the visitors.

In their last five matches, Ajax have recorded 2 wins, 2 draws, and 1 loss, scoring an average of 1.6 goals and conceding 1.4 per game. Heitinga’s team is therefore very prolific offensively but somewhat vulnerable defensively.

So far this season, the Dutch side have yet to win away from home, drawing three times against G.A. Eagles, FC Volendam, and PSV. Despite this, they have an impressive average of 1.66 goals scored per away game.

Olympique Marseille vs Ajax Prediction and Tactical Overview

The Olympique Marseille vs Ajax match, for Matchday 2 of the Champions League, promises to be entertaining and high-scoring. Both teams play attacking football and share the same philosophy: win by scoring more goals than the opponent.

In recent years, when these two teams have met, they have always delivered thrilling games full of twists and goal-scoring opportunities. In the 2023/24 UEFA Europa League group stage, Marseille and Ajax faced each other twice: a 3-3 draw in the first match and a 4-3 home win for Marseille in the return leg.

Given the previous encounters and the offensive playing styles of managers De Zerbi and Heitinga, the BetMines prediction for Olympique Marseille vs Ajax anticipates a match with over two goals and both teams scoring.

• Olympique Marseille vs Ajax prediction by BetMines: Over 2.5 Goals with 60% Probability
  
  
• Olympique Marseille vs Ajax prediction by BetMines: Under 2.5 Goals with 40% Probability

Probable Lineups Olympique Marseille vs Ajax

OLYMPIQUE MARSEILLE (3-4-2-1): Rulli; Pavard, Balerdi, Aguerd; Weah, Nadir, Hojbjerg, Gomes; Greenwood, Paixao; Gouiri. Coach: De Zerbi.

AJAX (4-3-3): Jaros; Rosa, Itakura, Sutalo, Baas; Regeer, Klaassen, Taylor; Berghuis, Konadu, Godts. Coach: Heitinga.