Ajax vs Marseille prediction: EUROPE: Europa League – Group Stage betting tips on match 2023-09-20 19:00.
Ajax and Marseille may both be former UEFA Champions League/European Cup winners, but the pair are vying for glory in the UEFA Europa League (UEL) this season. Ajax, who won the UEFA Cup Winnersâ Cup in 1987, have had an underwhelming start to league life under new head coach Maurice Steijn (W1, D2, L1), currently sitting 12th in the Eredivisie. Their progress to UEL Group B was similarly unconvincing, defeating Bulgariaâs Ludogorets Razgrad 4-2 on aggregate during the play-off round despite losing the home leg.
That said, the Dutch giants can look to their record against French clubs for inspiration, having won 15 of their 30 such meetings (D7, L8) and twice knocked Marseille out of European competition from the three times theyâve been drawn together. If thatâs not enough, home fans should be buoyed further by the fact that Ajax have won their opening home game in each of their last two continental campaigns âto nilâ (against BeĆiktaĆ and Rangers in the UCL).
Marseille, meanwhile, are unbeaten in Ligue 1 since Marcelino replaced Igor Tudor at the helm, with the Croatian departing having lost four of his final five games in charge. However, the three-time UEFA Cup/UEL runners-up will thank their lucky stars that the away goals rule has been scrapped after edging past Panathinaikos in the play-off round following a penalty shootout to reach this seasonâs group stage.
On a more positive note, they did eliminate Ajax en route to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup in 2009, the last year before it became the UEL. But recent history isnât kind to them, as since their most recent UEL final in 2018, they have been dumped at the group stage in their two subsequent appearances in the competition without winning away from home.
Players to watch: Steven Bergwijn has three goal involvements to his name so far this term (G2, A1), all of which have occurred from the 50th minute onwards. Outdoing him on that total though is IsmaĂŻla Sarr, who has four goal involvements (G2, A2) since making the move from Watford to Marseille – two of which have come in the opening five minutes of matches.
Hot stat: One team has scored at least three goals in each of Ajaxâs last five home European group-stage matches.