Ajax luckily took three points in last weekend’s De Klassieker with an amazing free kick from Ricardo Van Rhijn that sealed the win.

“A win what was a morel outrage” Feyenoord captain Jordy Clasie said in an interview after the game. With five shots and only three on target the whole game compared to Feyenoord having 18 and four something needs changing for the champions.

Is Serero lacking the strength a midfielder needs? Is Klaassen lacking creativity? Or does it lay deeper in defence as Feyenoord hit the woodwork three times in the opening 10 minutes. Either way a win is a win pretty or ugly and this one was ugly.

Maybe a 9-0 midweek demolition of the amateur side JOS Watergraafsmeer in the KNVB Beker has been used for a morale booster. Ricardo Kishna and Lucas Andersen getting one each Arek Milik grabbing six the later two potential starters this weekend. Lasse Schöne who missed De Klassieker is available but with APOEL Nicosia coming up midweek will be used sparingly. Niki Zimling looks certain to start possibly at the expense of Nick Viergever and Ajax only has Viktor Fischer not available due to injury.

De Boer will possibly go for Anwar El Ghazi, Milik and Andersen across the forward line which is a front three with goals in there. Ajax are undefeated in their last 14 matches against NAC in all competition. NAC have four first team players out injured. Gill Swerts, Henrico Drost, Elson Hooi and Erik Falkenburg so potential first starts of the season for Swedish defender Isak Ssewankambo and Kingsley Boateng.

Last weekend NAC Breda lost 2-1 to Willem II in an intense derby with former NAC player Robert Braber grabbing the winner late in added time. Follow that up with a scrappy 4-3 win midweek against SV Spakenburg tough times ahead for coach Nebojsa Gudelj and his team. NAC Breda have not scored against Ajax in their last five encounters but this could be the best time to do it with one eye on the Champions League match coming up and unbeaten in their last for home games.

PREDICTION

Even though Ajax are haven’t hit the ground running in the league and face APOEL midweek I feel they will be too much for injury stricken NAC Breda so I say 3-0 to Ajax sounds fair to me. Ajax won’t want to lose anymore ground to PSV and with their star man Depay out will look to close the two point gap and drive on from there.

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