After a disappointing start to the season, Cristian Chivu’s Inter are looking for redemption in the UEFA Champions League as they visit Ajax at the legendary Johan Cruyff Arena. The Nerazzurri are in serious trouble since, after the first three rounds of Serie A, they are already six points behind Napoli. On top of that, they come from a heavy 4-3 defeat against Juventus, after being ahead 3-2 with only fifteen minutes left on the clock. Chivu’s side now desperately need to return to winning ways, bringing home three points from Amsterdam in order to approach their next Serie A clash against Sassuolo with more optimism. Beyond the current struggles, it’s also worth remembering that Inter must avenge last May’s Champions League final lost 5-0 against Paris Saint-Germain. Ajax return to Europe’s top competition after two years of absence, aiming at least for a top-24 finish that would allow them to fight for a place in the knockout stages. To achieve that goal, it is crucial not to drop points, starting right from the home match against the Champions League runners-up. With a strong start to the domestic season and still unbeaten in the Eredivisie, the Dutch giants will do everything possible to secure a win that would make qualification easier, while pushing Inter into a deeper crisis.

Ajax's recent form and key stats

Ajax come into their Champions League opener still unbeaten, having collected three wins and two draws in their first five games of the new season. In their latest Eredivisie fixture, the Lancers defeated Zwolle 3-1 thanks to an early goal from former Inter man Klaassen and a brace from Godts.

Johnny Heitinga’s team are averaging 2 goals per game, led by striker Wout Weghorst, who has already scored three times. Defensively, Ajax have conceded an average of 0.8 goals per match, though they have allowed goals in their last two outings against Volendam and Zwolle.

The Dutch runners-up also boast a strong record at the Johan Cruyff Arena, having lost only one of their last eight home matches. Moreover, they have won their last four home games in a row, scoring a total of 9 goals and conceding just one.

Inter's recent form and key stats

Inter have started their Serie A campaign in the worst possible way, losing two of their first three league matches. Their latest defeat came just last weekend: a 4-3 loss against Juventus, with goals from Calhanoglu (2) and Thuram. The Italian runners-up now sit with just 3 points, earned in their 5-0 opening win against Torino.

The biggest concern for new coach Cristian Chivu, who replaced Simone Inzaghi, is the defense: after keeping a clean sheet against Torino, the Nerazzurri have conceded 6 goals in their last two matches against Udinese and Juventus. The attack, on the other hand, is performing very well, with an impressive average of 3 goals per game so far.

Last season, Inter proved to be very dangerous away from home in the Champions League, drawing 3-3 in the semifinals against Barcelona and winning 2-1 away at Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals. In the Round of 16, they also won away from San Siro: 2-0 against Feyenoord, with goals from Thuram and Lautaro Martinez.

Prediction Ajax vs Inter and tactical overview

Ajax and Inter have both shown, in this early part of the season, that they are very prolific in front of goal but also defensively vulnerable. All the ingredients are there for an exciting match full of goals from both sides.

The feeling is that Ajax will let Inter control possession, focusing on quick ball recovery to immediately launch vertical passes towards Weghorst, who is excellent at holding up the ball and bringing teammates into play. Inter, on the other hand, will need to exploit the pace of their wing-backs, Dimarco and Dumfries, to create overloads on the flanks and deliver dangerous balls to the attacking duo of Thuram and Lautaro Martinez.

The Ajax vs Inter prediction from BetMines therefore points towards "both teams to score". The same outcome has occurred in three of Ajax’s last four games and in Inter’s last two matches.

• Prediction Ajax vs Inter by BetMines: both teams to score with 56% probability
  
  
• Prediction Ajax vs Inter by BetMines: at least one team not to score with 44% probability

Probable lineups Ajax vs Inter

AJAX (4-3-3): Jaros; Gaaei, Sutalo, Baas, Wijndal; Taylor, Y. Regeer, Klaassen; Berghuis, Weghorst, M. Godts. Coach: Johnny Heitinga

INTER (3-5-2): Sommer; Bisseck, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Sucic, Dimarco; Thuram, Martinez. Coach: Cristian Chivu