Champions League

Ajax to Take Final Step into Champions League

Just one team stands between Ajax and the Champions League group stages, and that is Apoel Nicosia of Cyprus. The Dutch champions are edging closer to making the main part of the competition once more, a competition that they reached the semi finals off last season, and were just seconds away from being in the final.

They have to put that behind them now, and appear to have done that so far in their games in this competition. They beat PAOK in the last round and won 4-1 in the Eredivisie over the weekend as they begin to find their form. They have lost a couple of key players from their team last season, which may harm their progress further down the line but there is no doubt that the group stages of this competition are the bare minimum required.

Apoel Nicosia have played a couple of rounds in this competition so far, entering earlier than Ajax although this is certainly their toughest test yet. They are here thanks to an aggregate victory over Qarabag, a game that they lost at home before really impressing with an away second leg victory. That was a game they were not fancied to win and while Ajax are a big step up in terms of class, it does show that this is a team you cannot underestimate in any game, whether that be home or away.

Apoel Nicosia vs Ajax Betting Tips

Having said all of that, I do think there is good value in following the Dutch side here. They have an extra gear compared to any team that Apoel Nicosia have played so far this season, and after a few games to settle themselves into the competition, I think we will see a lot more here than we did of Ajax when they beat PAOK.

We saw them perform to a very high standard away from home last season and if they are to go anywhere in this competition past the group stage then they are going to have to do that again. With wins over Real Madrid, Juventus and Tottenham, this is a top quality team we are talking about here. They are a class above the qualifying round, and I am expecting us to see Ajax win comfortably on Tuesday night.