Both teams remain stuck at zero points after the first four rounds of the Champions League, and Ajax and Benfica will face each other on Tuesday, 25 November at the Cruyff Arena with the aim of earning their first points and reopening the qualification race. Ajax are experiencing an extremely disappointing start to the season, not only in Europe but also in the Eredivisie: after last year’s second place, Grim’s men now find themselves fourth and already far from the top. A victory against Benfica could represent a crucial turning point, especially after the four defeats suffered so far in the Champions League against Inter, Olympique Marseille, Chelsea and Galatasaray. Another loss would almost definitively mean saying goodbye to the top European competition. Benfica find themselves in an identical situation, having also collected four defeats in as many matches against Qarabag, Chelsea, Newcastle and Leverkusen. The Portuguese side must therefore return from Amsterdam with three points to keep their final hopes alive of finishing the first phase among the top 24 and reaching the knockout stage. It is, therefore, a real direct clash: one of the two teams could relaunch their qualification hopes, while the other risks remaining stuck at the bottom, seeing their European ambitions almost completely vanish.

Ajax's Form and Key Stats

It’s a terrible moment for Ajax who, after losing 2–1 against Excelsior on 22 November, suffered their third consecutive defeat across the Eredivisie and Champions League. After the first thirteen league rounds, the Amsterdammers find themselves trailing heavily in the standings, sitting fourth and 14 points behind league leaders PSV.

In their last five matches across all competitions, the Red and Whites have collected 1 win, 1 draw and 3 losses, with an average of 1.2 goals scored and 2 conceded per game. The defence is the real weak point, having failed to keep a clean sheet in the last 14 matches, while the attack is at least showing some consistency.

The Dutch runners-up are bottom of the Champions League league-phase table with zero points, having lost all four matches so far with just one goal scored and 14 conceded (an average of 3.5 per match). For this reason, only a victory could reignite their hopes of reaching at least 24th place.

Benfica's Recent Form and Key Stats

After a rather disappointing start to the season, Benfica are slowly regaining confidence, coming off two positive results between the league and the Portuguese Cup. In their latest match, played on 21 November, they earned a 2–0 win away in the national cup against Atletico, thanks to goals from Rios and Pavlidis.

The moment for Mourinho’s team is generally positive: 3 wins, 1 draw and 1 defeat in their last five matches, with an average of 2.4 goals scored and just 0.6 conceded. The defence is in excellent form, having kept clean sheets in three of their last five games.

However, the situation remains dramatic in the Champions League, as they also sit at zero points with 2 goals scored and 8 conceded. The Special One’s men must absolutely win to avoid crushing their remaining European hopes.

Ajax vs Benfica Prediction by BetMines

The stakes at the Cruyff Arena will be extremely high: both teams are still stuck at zero points and will give everything to secure a victory that could finally move the standings.

According to the BetMines algorithm, Benfica are favoured: the away win (2) is estimated at 48%, while Ajax’s victory (1) sits at 31%. This difference is mainly due to Benfica’s better form, with more convincing results compared to an Ajax side that has been far below expectations so far.

Given the do-or-die nature of this clash, the feeling is that the match could be played at a high tempo and with fewer tactical constraints. Besides the away win, BetMines also suggests Over 2.5 goals and “both teams to score”, estimated respectively at 60% and 59%.

The first four rounds of the Champions League league phase have highlighted the defensive struggles of both teams, suggesting an open match in which Ajax and Benfica could both find the net by exploiting each other’s defensive lapses.

Probable Lineups Ajax vs Benfica

AJAX (4-2-3-1): Pasveer; Gaaei, Sutalo, Baas, Alders; Regeer, Taylor; Edvardsen, Gloukh, Godts; Dolberg. Manager: Grim

BENFICA (4-2-3-1): Trubin; Dahl, Otamendi, A Silva, Dedic; Rios, Barreiro; Ausenes, Sudakov, Schjelderup; Pavlidis. Manager: Mourinho