Tag Archives: Ajax

EREDIVISIE: Ajax 1-3 PSV

August 24, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

SUNDAY 24TH AUGUST 2014

AJAX 1 – 3 PSV

It was a great match between Ajax and PSV Eindhoven in ‘De Topper’ with lots of goals and entertainment. The away side ran out 3-1 winners at the Amsterdam ArenA, proving themselves as title challengers reports Jake Jackman.

It’s always exciting when Ajax and PSV Eindhoven meet in the Eredivisie and this match was no different, especially as many are tipping PSV to be serious challengers for the title this season. Ricardo van Rhijn was back in the starting eleven after his serious injury, while Daley Blind started in midfield, despite interest from Manchester United. The visitors had Kerim Rekik back in their defence, after he was again signed on a loan deal. Memphis Depay had an early chance, but blazed over from the edge of the area. Ajax also had a good early opportunity as Davy Klaassen’s powerful header was saved well by Jeroen Zoet.

Ajax took the lead after 16 minutes after Anwar El Ghazi glanced a header over Jeroen Zoet who was closing down the youngster. The delivery from Klaassen was exceptional, but Zoet’s positioning was poor, don’t let that take away from the goal though, as it was a wonderful bit of quick thinking from El Ghazi on his first league start. The goal was perhaps against the run of play after PSV’s impressive start. The home side nearly doubled their lead, after a powerful run from Nicolai Boilesen, who played a one two with Lasse Schone, forced a good save out of Zoet with a low powerful shot inside the box.

Georginio Wijnaldum was one of the best players on the pitch in the first half, dictating play in the Ajax half when PSV had possession of the football and he forced a save from Jasper Cillessen mid way through the first 45 minutes. Calamity nearly struck for the away side as Van Rhijn’s ball was nearly sliced in by Joshua Brenet. His poor clearance could have went anyway, but luckily for Phillip Cocu’s men, it went wide.

Ajax started the second half on the front foot, with the right hand side of El Ghazi and Van Rhijn looking really good, but just minutes into the second half, the former had to be withdrawn. Ajax will be hoping that the injury isn’t too serious as the youngster has looked excellent in the opening few matches. Although the home side nearly doubled their lead through Schone, it was PSV who scored the first goal of the second half as Luciano Narsingh got past the Ajax defence utilising his pace, before he squared it to Memphis Depay, who slotted into an empty net. It was the Dutchman’s fifth Eredivisie goal of the season.

The pressure continued to build with Narsingh and Depay showing exactly why they are among the most talented attackers in the Eredivisie and it was the former who scored PSV’s second goal. Luuk de Jong picked up the ball in the Ajax half and played a perfectly weighted ball through to the winger who finished calmly past the Ajax keeper. The away side were showing exactly why many feel they will be title challengers this year.

The home side were pressing hard for an equaliser and came so close after Niklas Moisander was through one on one with Zoet, but fluffed his lines as his shot flew widely over the bar. Frank de Boer would have wished that chance had fallen to one of his forward players as it was the perfect chance to equalise.

Ajax continued to push for their second goal of the game as Schone fired just wide from a free kick, it was extremely close and PSV started to look nervy as they tried to take three points away from the Amsterdam ArenA. PSV always promised to be dangerous on the break and so it proved as they grabbed their third goal through Florian Jozefzoon who successfully got on the end of a long ball, despite pressure from Blind and Joel Veltman. The two Ajax defenders really should have done better.

Today showed again how pace exposes Ajax and other sides will have taken note of that. Especially in the second half, as Narsingh and Depay looked fantastic, while the link up play between those two, De Jong and Wijnaldum was brilliant. Ajax looked good at times, but PSV came here with a game plan and it paid off, they didn’t panic when they went behind and they showed their class in the end. The final week of the transfer window could prove pivotal for both sides as Ajax look likely to lose Blind, while PSV will look to strengthen further. This year’s title race should be intriguing, and like many said pre season, PSV will certainly be right in and amongst it.

TEAMS

AJAX: Cillessen, Van Rhijn (Serero 70), Veltman, Moisander, Boilesen (Ligeon 66), Klaassen, Viergever, Blind, Schöne, Sigthórsson, El Ghazi (Andersen 50).

SUBS NOT USED: Vermeer, Van der Hoorn, Kishna, Milik.

GOALS: El Ghazi 16.

BOOKINGS: None.

PSV: Zoet, Brenet, Bruma, Rekik, Willems (Tamata 53), Wijnaldum, Hendrix, Maher (Hiljemark 70), Narsingh (Jozefzoon 80), De Jong, Depay.

SUBS NOT USED: Pasveer, Koch, Ritzmaier, Locadia.

GOALS: Depay 52, Narsingh 63, Jozefzoon 86.

BOOKINGS: Rekik 12, Depay 61.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Luciano Narsingh (PSV)

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BETTING TIPS, EREDIVISIE, EREDIVISIE PREVIEW

Eredivisie Week 3: Ajax vs. PSV preview and betting tips

August 23, 2014 Will Burns 1 Comment

SUNDAY 24TH AUGUST

AJAX vs. PSV (15:45 BST)

This Sunday, Ajax Amsterdam face PSV Eindhoven in a crucial early season match-up at the Amsterdam ArenA. Both sides are red-hot after two matches and the winner will have the upper hand in the hunt for the Eredivisie title, which looks to be a two horse race between the two clubs writes Alex Pieter.

The PSV attack is firing on all cylinders after defeating NAC Breda by a count of 6-1 last weekend. The Ajax attack has not been too shabby itself, tallying seven goals in two matches. This match will come down to which side can defend better.

PSV has a strong central-defensive duo in the likes of Karim Rekik and Jeffrey Bruma. Jetro Willems is also a capable left-back however; the weak spot that Ajax must exploit is right-back Santiago Arias. NAC had success going at the young Colombian and Arias will face a much stronger attack this weekend. Whether he can hold up against the likes of Lasse Schöne, Thulani Serero, Davy Klaassen, Ricardo Kishna and Daley Blind will go a long way in determining the result for PSV.

The biggest question mark for the Ajax defence heading into this weekend’s showdown is the fitness of right-back Ricardo van Rhijn. Van Rhijn has been battling a hamstring injury throughout the summer, but hopes to make his comeback this weekend. Frank de Boer will have a big decision on his hands determining whether Van Rhijn is fit to start. The replacement is Ruben Ligeon, who has looked shaky at times in the first few matches. Another question facing the Ajax coach is whether to stick with Mike van der Hoorn at centre-back or go back to Joël Veltman. Veltman will be the starter in due time, but Van der Hoorn has looked solid in his first two matches. Ajax will line up with Niklas Moisander and Nicolai Boilesen as the other central defender and left-back, respectively.

Another question for Ajax is the striker situation. The plans Samuel Eto’o seems to have fallen through. As a result it will be up to Arkadiusz Milik, Kolbeinn Sigthórsson and Zivkovic to carry the load. Although Sigthórsson’s future in Ajax is in question, as a move to Queens Park Rangers looms, and his status for this weekend is still up in the air. Ajax will need big performances out of their wingers and attacking-midfielder Davy Klaassen.

The uncertainty in the Ajax camp is nothing new, as they are more than used to transfer rumours and injury problems. Last year’s captain Siem de Jong spent much of the season battling various injury problems as did Nicolai Boilesen. Frank de Boer is a seasoned coach who always seems to find a way to get the job done.

PSV have yet to reach their full potential. Adam Maher has not played like he is capable of, Luuk de Jong is still finding his feet in a new environment and coach Philip Cocu is still perfecting his rotation. They look to be Ajax’s biggest title challenger this year, with some even coining them the league favourites. If they are to be considered legitimate contenders, they will need to get at least a point in Amsterdam this weekend.

KEY PLAYERS

DALEY BLIND

By now most people know of Blind and what he is capable of. It is blatantly obvious Ajax are a much better team when Blind is in the starting line-up. They looked lost without him in the Johan Cruyff Schaal match against PEC Zwolle. He allows Klaassen to play further up the pitch, where he is most effective. Blind’s distribution also gives Ajax many added dimensions going forward and with the striker situation still in flux, Blind will be the key to unlocking the PSV defence. If he is able to find the likes of Ricardo Kishna, Anwar El-Ghazi, Klaassen and Schöne in space, it bodes well for the Amsterdammers. Blind is also adds extra protection in front of the backline, something that will be crucial against the high powered offense of PSV.

MEMPHIS DEPAY

There is no bigger name in the Eredivisie at the moment. Depay is on the radar of the top clubs from leagues across Europe and his future at PSV has been in constant flux. He is under contract at PSV until 2017, meaning if a club wants him they will have to pay up, likely in excess of €20 million. Depay is the focal point of the PSV attack, though they have other talented players in support, they will look to Depay to shoulder the load. It is not a matter of shutting down Depay for Ajax, he will get his chances, he is that good, it is a matter of controlling those chances and limiting them. If Depay is able to make the most of his chances and pick out his teammates it could spell big trouble for Ajax.

PREDICTION

Both teams are facing distractions, with each club dealing with transfer rumours regarding their star players. Additionally, PSV faced a Europa League playoff match on Thursday night. On paper, PSV has more talent than Ajax and there is little evidence to say otherwise. However, football is not played on paper and Ajax have a better team than PSV. Frank de Boer is the best manager in the Eredivisie and he has the Amsterdam giants headed in the right direction. Also, Ajax has home advantage, where they are extremely tough to beat.

RECCOMMENDED BETS

Ajax to win (9/10 – Bet Victor)

Ajax to win 3-2 correct score (20/1 – Bet Victor)

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EREDIVISIE, EREDIVISIE REPORT

EREDIVISIE: AZ 1-3 Ajax

August 17, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

SUNDAY 17TH AUGUST 2014

AZ ALKMAAR 1 – 3 AJAX

A comfortable win for Ajax after controlling the game for most of the 90 minutes, save for a short spell during which AZ scored. AZ lacked the cutting edge that Aron Jóhannsson surely would have provided and could only manage three shots on target while Ajax were comfortable and assured in possession writes Ryan O’Grady.

PSV’s large margin of victory yesterday meant that only by winning by a few themselves could either team go top. AZ’s manager and former Ajax player and legend Marco Van Basten was hoping to beat his former side for the first time ever in his managerial career. He named an unchanged side from the win away at Heracles while Frank de Boer brought in two of the Netherland’s World Cup stars, Jasper Cillessen and Daley Blind, for their first game of the Eredivisie season. Ajax were coming off the back of a slightly unconvincing 4-1 win against Vitesse Arnhem on opening weekend.

Ajax were very comfortable in the first half with more of the possession and they had the better chances. AZ lacked a presence upfront with Tankovic, who to be fair is not an out and out striker but with Aron Jóhannsson still out with injury there was really no other option for Van Basten.

The game started off quite slowly with Ajax’s Ricardo Kishna having the best early chance after being put through by a wonderful ball from Blind but AZ keeper Alvarado stood tall and saved it easily. AZ had a couple of shots on target in the first half and one of those came in the 10^th minute when Ajax defender Ligeon dallied on the ball and was dispossessed by Hupperts on the edge of the box and the ball eventually came back to Hupperts who had a shot well saved by Cillessen.

Then in the 15^th minute a lovely bit of play from the Ajax players was rounded off by a through ball from Schöne which took out three defenders and was picked up by Davy Klaassen inside the corner of the box before a lovely low finish into the near side corner of the net.

The response from AZ came six minutes later when they had a free kick near the touchline crossed in by Berghuis and Tankovic had a free header in the box that he put just wide. This was followed by a quite spell of around ten minutes and that was ended when Sigthorsson received the ball outside the box and spun his defender but lost his balance allowing Alvarado to collect easily.

Four minutes later, Sigthorsson was lucky not to be sent off after losing control of the ball before lunging into a tackle on Poulsen who thankfully managed to lift his foot before contact was made, Sigthorsson escaped with a yellow. The rest of the half only contained a few half chances the best of which fell to Berghuis when he had a header across goal that was easily saved by Cillessen.

During the break, Frank de Boer brought off Ricardo Kishna for Anwar El Ghazi presumably because of an injury to Kishna as he didn’t play badly in the first half. This worked out well in the end, as El Ghazi was one of the best players in the second half. The break also constituted a change of tactics from Marco Van Basten and his side who pressed noticeably higher up the pitch after the interval and this paid off almost immediately.

First Hupperts brought down a ball beautifully in the box before releasing a weak shot that went wide of the post, then from the subsequent goal kick the ball was given to Ajax defender Nick Viergever who immediately gave it to Guus Hupperts and he sent a ball across the box which was missed by Henriksen before being followed up by Steven Berghuis who supplied an almost identical finish to Klaassen’s earlier goal.

This opened up the game and there were frequent chances at either end for both sides including a great chance for substitute El Ghazi who beat two defenders inside the box before wasting a clear shot on goal by playing a ball across the six-yard box that was easily cleared.

Then in the 69^th minute there was a comical moment when Schöne appeared to take the ball over the line at the side of the box and both Schöne and the AZ defender just looked at the ball before realising it was still in, Schöne reacted quickest and beat a couple of defenders before sending a lovely curled effort in from the edge of the ‘d’ into the bottom right corner.

Following the goal there was a period of Ajax pressure to try and put the team 3-1 up and out of AZ’s reach. The best chance in this period came when both Sigthorsson and Wuytens went for the ball near the halfway line but the AZ defender was half-hearted in his attempt allowing Sigthorsson to race clear but he took to long to get his shot off in the box that Poulsen was able to cover and put the Ajax striker off causing Sigthorsson to fall over with what appeared to be a wry smile as he appealed for a penalty which was never going to be given.

Wuytens was then booked shortly after as he blocked off El Ghazi from racing clear. The pressure continued in the 78^th minute when the ball broke to Sigthorsson on the edge of the box but he yet again wasted what should’ve been an easy goal for someone of his standard. Schöne then had a chance in the 83^rd minute when El Ghazi broke into the box before playing it across to Schöne who had a try from a tight angle blocked by Poulsen for a corner.

The resulting corner was delivered into the box and Sigthorsson rose to meet it only for it to ricochet off the post and fall to the feet of Viergever who had a shot saved by the keeper.

The win was rounded off in the 89^th minute when the impressive El Ghazi scored his first ever senior goal with a lovely effort from a similar position to Schöne’s goal but this time the ball went into the top left corner leaving the keeper rooted to the spot. The game ended in bad taste after a foul on El Ghazi in the 92^ndminute led to a coming together of most of the 22 players on the field but referee Kevin Blom managed to regain control of the situation before booking Hupperts, Gouweleeuw and Moisander.

TEAMS

AZ: Esteban, Johansson (Elm 77), Gouweleeuw, Wuytens, Poulsen, Gudelj, Henriksen, Ortiz, Berghuis, Tankovic (Rosheuvel 84), Hupperts.

SUBS NOT USED: Rochet, Luckassen, Hoedt, Haps, Haye.

GOALS: Berghuis 50.

BOOKINGS: Wuytens 75, Hupperts 90+3, Gouweleeuw 90+4.

AJAX: Cillessen, Ligeon, Van der Hoorn, Moisander, Boilesen, Klaassen, Viergever, Blind (Serero 77), Schöne (El Ghazi 46), Sigthórsson, Kishna.

SUBS NOT USED: Vermeer, Tete, Riedewald, Andersen, Milik.

GOALS: Klaassen 15, Schöne 69, El Ghazi 90.

BOOKINGS: Sigthorsson 37, Moisander 90+4.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Lasse Schöne (Ajax)

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BETTING TIPS, EREDIVISIE, EREDIVISIE PREVIEW

EREDIVISIE WEEK 2: Sunday’s Preview and Betting Tips

August 17, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

Another Eredivisie season is underway and after last weekend’s action in the opening round of fixtures, fans and lovers of the Dutch game can already be excited for the second round of action with some mouth-watering ties throughout the week. Ajax’s trip to AZ Alkmaar is no doubt however, the tie of the second round of fixtures. Will and Shane Burns (no relation) preview and supply betting tips for all four Sunday’s games.

SUNDAY 16TH AUGUST

AZ ALKMAAR vs. AJAX (11:30 BST)

AZ Alkmaar started the season in perfect form ahead of their clash with the champions after picking up a 0-3 victory over Heracles away from home. Alkmaar were under pressure prior to the game as it seen as crucial for the 2009 Eredivisie champions. After suffering a stunning eight defeats away from home last season, away form has been seen as the necessary point for achieving success this year in the Eredivisie by manager Marco van Basten.

Frank De Boer’s Ajax side are gaining a reputation throughout Holland and Europe as the most productive academy club in the world. Having spent only €4.5million this summer, De Boer seems determined to continue the growth of his Ajax side by producing both youth within their own academy and experience by buying from outside, and there’s no denying his successes. There’s no denying De Boer’s hunger for another Eredivisie crown as his Ajax side comfortably recorded their first victory of the season last week with a 4-1 victory over Vitesse, a side who have beaten Ajax in each of the last two seasons.

There’s no doubt that former AZ defender Nick Viergever, who moved to Ajax from Alkmaar in May, can expect a frosty reception when he returns to his former home this weekend. After some impressive performances for Van Basten’s side, De Boer acted quickly to sign up the defender and add him to his growing young Ajax side.

Former Dutch coach Van Basten has a few selection headaches for the match this weekend as both Viktor Elm and Derrick Luckassen are both injury concerns ahead of the arrival of champions Ajax. Van Basten recorded a comprehensive win last weekend and will be eager to inflict a dent into Ajax’s title challenge whilst maintaining their 100% start to the new season, and push for the title themselves.

Both incoming and outgoing transfers have been the main news this week regarding Ajax. The club is waiting on a response from Samuel Eto’o after the Amsterdam club offered the former Chelsea, Inter Milan and Barcelona striker a lucrative deal to join the club. Daley Blind has attracted some of European football’s top clubs this week when he announced that it would be difficult to ignore an offer from one of Europe’s top clubs but quickly announced that he was fully focused on Ajax’s title defense.

Fortunately for Frank De Boer, last weekend’s victory over Vitesse has been backed up with an injury free week and has no fresh concerns over his selection for his side’s trip to Alkmaar. Both sides will go into the tie full of confidence which will hopefully leave fans of the Eredivisie ecstatic with the game of the week.

RECCOMMENDED BETS

Ajax to win 2-0 (13/1 – Bet Victor)

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FC UTRECHT vs. WILLEM II (13:30 BST)

In the uninspiring match-up of the weekend, Willem II travel to Utrecht in a game that could prove to be influential in keeping either side in the league come May.

New Utrecht manager Rob Alflen suffered a 2-0 defeat away to Zwolle last weekend is hampered with six injuries for Sunday’s game. Defender Michael Zullo, midfielders Édouard Duplan, Tommy Oar, plus strikers Danny Verbeek, Gyliano van Velzen and Ruud Boymans all set to miss out the visit of Willem II.

The visitors coach Jurgen Streppel has his own problems after first-choice goalkeeper Kostas Lamprou was dismissed last weekend in the 3-1 defeat to PSV and on-loan defender Fabian Sporkslede is on the treatment table.

I see this game being a one of midfield battles and chances are rare. I have settled on either a 0-0 draw or the odd goal will steal it. Under 1.5 Goals is valued at 18/5 at Bet Victor and that is a price to good to ignore.

RECCOMMENDED BETS

Under 1.5 Goals (18/5 – Bet Victor)

EXCELSIOR vs. GO AHEAD EAGLES (13:30 BST)

Last weekend Go Ahead Eagles threw away a 2-0 lead to lose 3-2 at home to FC Groningen and will look for better fortunes away to Eredivisie newcomers Excelsior on Sunday afternoon.

Excelsior grabbed a great point away to relegation rivals NAC Breda last Saturday and will look to capitalise on that, however, they will have to cope with the bag of tricks Lesley de Sa in his arsenal he displayed last time out. De Sa, on a season long loan from Ajax, is one for the future but last weekend’s performance showed he could have a huge impact on Go Ahead’s season.

Last season, the Eagles had a poor away record and in the last 10 away matches in the league, they have failed to win nine of them, however I feel they could do well at Stadion Woudestein on Sunday. The Eagles are a massive 11/5 at Bet Victor and I see that as a great way to make a profit.

RECCOMMENDED BETS

Go Ahead Eagles to win (11/5 – Bet Victor)

FC GRONINGEN vs. HERACLES (15:30 BST)

After contrasting results last weekend, Will Burns thinks FC Groningen will prove to be too strong for Heracles in Sunday’s last game.

Ironically this week, Edwin van Looi’s Groningen has been linked with a move for Heracles’ player of the season last year, Bryan Linssen as they look to replace Filip Kostic who moved onto Stuttgart earlier this month.

FC Groningen, despite Kostic leaving, has some great talent at their disposal this season. Tjaronn Chery, Danny Hoesen and Jarchinio Antonia all capable of grabbing goals when needed and if Eric Botteghin and Johan Kappelhof can keep Linssen quiet, the hosts should win easily. Groningen are valued correctly at 11/8 and this will be the best bet in this game.

RECCOMMENDED BETS

Groningen to win (11/8 – Bet Victor)

All odds are with Bet Victor, click here to join and claim up to £25 in free bets for all new customers.

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FEATURE

Eto’wow: The excitement surrounding the Cameroon legends link with Ajax

August 14, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

Jos Boesveld makes his debut for Total Dutch Football explaining his excitement when he heard the news of Samuel Eto’o linked with a move to Dutch champions Ajax.

When I first heard the news I was shocked. Almost literally, because I wasn’t thinking straight when I returned to working in our house with the electrics. Maybe stunned is a better word. Samuel Eto’o, striker, world class player and god, could complete a transfer to Ajax.

I always like to find the original source of the news. This time, it was UK tabloid, The Sun. They describe their news as ‘The Best for News, Sport, Showbiz and Celebrities’. News and sport comes first, but showbiz and celebrities are pretty close-by. I’m never sure what to think of such news. So after my first reaction I had to explain to a lot of friends that this is a too-good-to-be-true-story and so on.

But still, wow. Even if there is just a small chance that Eto’o will come to Amsterdam, it would be amazing. I found myself thinking about some man on man combat in the Eredivisie, where Ramon Leeuwin, currently playing for FC Utrecht, would have to take on this beast of a striker. Last season, as Leeuwin played with ADO Den Haag against FK Tauras Tauragė in the Europa League qualifications, Eto’o thought it was funny to score a hat-trick against Manchester United.

I was doing my work just as usual, but Eto’o kept my mind busy. I did not realise it, but he was. Maybe he was the only reason I checked my newsfeed late at night. I immediately saw updates about the Cameroonian legend. This time it wasn’t an English source, De Telegraaf and the Voetbal International both said that Ajax was indeed talking with Eto’o and his management. Mind was, and still is, blown.

The small chance just became a whole lot. I trust both Dutch sources, because not only they have that reputation, they both had quotes from Marc Overmars, who handles transfers at Ajax. Wow. Did I mentioned that Eto’o has played over 500 games, in which he scored a little bit less than 300 goals?

Of course I do understand that bigger clubs than Ajax are interested in Eto’o, who is a free agent now. I do understand that Ajax cannot pay his salary and I do understand that outsiders laugh about our Eredivisie. However, I also know that Ajax is participating in the Champions League and that their goal to finally survive the group stage. With Eto’o, this can be realised. Oh yeah, and Ajax will be champions in the Dutch Eredivisie for the fifth time in a row. I feel like six years old again. In Holland we say ‘Een kinderhand is snel gevuld’, which is best translated as the fact that young children are easily satisfied. Apparently, only the name Eto’wow can satisfy me.

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NEWS, TRANSFERS

Dutchman interested in move to Man Utd

August 11, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

Manchester United target and Netherlands World Cup star Daley Blind has admitted that he would be open to a move to Manchester if new manager Louis van Gaal were to make an offer for him.

The Ajax defender has been constantly linked with a summer move to Old Trafford given the fact that Blind fits perfectly into the new 3-5-2 model of play that Van Gaal is implementing at the club.

Blind said, “For me, it is just about waiting but I am happy here in Amsterdam” and went on to say that “if something comes along his path, I will think about it.”

His focus remains on Ajax, but he finished the interview by saying, “we will see what happens next week”. Whether or not van Gaal has set a deadline for a new arrival remains to be seen but it seems quite strange that Blind would mention a specific time as to when he is expecting something to happen.

Ajax head coach Frank de Boer also weighed in by saying that “he will make the right choice and if he goes to a big club, he deserves it.” but went on to say that the defender would be better of staying in Amsterdam for another year to develop the quite competent skill set that he already boasts.

Manchester United recently lost out in the Thomas Vermaelen sweepstakes to Barcelona with the former Arsenal captain moving to Spain for a fee believed to be in the region of £13 million.

It is no secret that Manchester United are in the market for a left-footed defender and Blind is probably the most realistic target at this point in time. He is affordable, up for the move, knows Van Gaal and his system, and is versatile in what he can offer the club.

The 24-year-old has appeared for Ajax 100 times since his debut in 2008 scoring three goals during that time. He is also a fully fledged Dutch international footballer with 19 caps to his name, and the son of former Ajax footballer Danny Blind.

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EREDIVISIE, EREDIVISIE REPORT

EREDIVISIE: Ajax 4-1 Vitesse

August 10, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

SUNDAY 10TH AUGUST 2014

AJAX 4 – 1 VITESSE

Ajax got their title defense underway with 4-1 win over Vitesse, although the victory was not as one-sided as it sounds.

Whilst potential signing Samuel Eto’o was among the spectators at the Amsterdam ArenA, Frank de Boer went with three-pronged attack of Ricardo Kishna, Arkadiusz Milik and Lasse Schöne. He left all three of Ajax’s representatives at this summer’s World Cup on the bench, Jasper Cillessen, Joël Veltman and Daley Blind.

Meanwhile, Peter Bosz decided to feature two youngsters from the latest crop sent over to Arnhem from Chelsea. Burkina Faso attacking midfielder Bertrand Traoré returned for his second season at Vitesse while Brazilian right-back Wallace made his debut at the back.

Vitesse controlled the majority of the first 45 minutes with Ajax looking vulnerable at the back, however the visitors were due to rue all the missed opportunities especially when Ajax made the breakthrough five minutes before half-time.

Summer signing Nick Viergever got the first goal with a wonderful left-foot finish. Young full-back Ruben Ligeon got forward on the right-wing and planted a cross in the middle of the box, arriving late Viergever volleyed past Piet Velthuizen in goal to make the Amsterdam ArenA jump.

Just after the interval, the lead was doubled after Chelsea youngster Wallace brought down Kishna around 30-yards out. From the resulting set-piece, Lasse Schöne hit a dipping long range shot that made Velthuizen look rather foolish in goal.

The second goal woke Vitesse up immediately and Bosz’s men nearly reduced the deficit. Defender Guram Kashia cracked a header off the crossbar from a Zakaria Labyad corner and then nodded the rebound over. However, the game was settled just after the hour mark with Mike van der Hoorn’s first goal for Ajax. Schone whipped in the corner and the defender rose above Jan-Arie van der Heijden to make it 3-0. Game over for Vitesse Arnhem.

The entrances of new signing Denys Olinyk and young forward Uroš Djurdjevic did not bring Vitesse any joy, Ajax were in full domination and dictated the tempo of the play. Although, Vitesse did get a consolation goal with a lovely effort by Marko Vejinović with just six minutes to go. After shrugging off the challenge of Van der Hoorn, the midfielder caught the Ajax defence asleep as he surged through the area and slotted home inside Kenneth Vermeer’s inside post.

Ajax made it four before the final whistle when young substitute winger Ahmed El Ghazi played a ball into the back post, and Schöne sidefooted home to score his second of the match.

Great second half performance from the Amsterdammers which may have shown Marc Overmars and De Boer that, do they really need to spend €2million a year on wages for Eto’o when they have all this talent banging in the goals when it matters.

TEAMS

AJAX: Vermeer, Ligeon, Van der Hoorn, Moisander, Boilesen, Klaassen (Sigthórsson 80), Viergever, Serero, Schöne, Milik (Blind 59), Kishna (El Ghazi 70).

SUBS NOT USED: Cillessen, Veltman, Sigthórsson, Andersen, Denswil.

GOALS: Viergever 40, Schöne 48, Van der Hoorn 62.

BOOKINGS: Ligeon 43, Van der Hoorn 82.

VITESSE: Velthuizen, Wallace, Kashia, Van den Heijden, Kruiswijk, Pröpper, Leerdam (Achenteh 85), Vejinovic, Labyad, Kazaishvili (Olinyk 66), Traoré (Djurdjevic 66).

SUBS NOT USED: Room, Dijks, Bosz, Dauda.

GOALS: Vejinovic 84.

BOOKINGS: Wallace 47.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Lasse Schöne (Ajax)

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BETTING TIPS, EREDIVISIE, EREDIVISIE PREVIEW

EREDIVISIE WEEK 1: SUNDAY PREVIEW & BETTING TIPS

August 9, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

Sunday sees the final four games of the first week of action as the big guns PSV, Ajax, Feyenoord and Vitesse begin their campaign. Will Burns to provide a preview and some betting tips – good luck.

SUNDAY 10TH AUGUST

ADO DEN HAAG vs. FEYENOORD (11:30 BST)

The very first Dutch game of the four-year Sky Sports deal will be a fierce battle between ADO Den Haag and Feyenoord.

This will be a tough test for Feyenoord, after the midweek exploits in Turkey, defeated by Beşiktaş 3-1 courtesy of a Demba Ba hat-trick. With a squad depleted after losing their leading scorer for the past two seasons and three of their representatives at this summer’s World Cup, Fred Rutten has a major job on his hands if he wishes to try steering Feyenoord to a title challenge this term. Signing Heerenveen winger Bilal Basacikoglu was a good start and the thought of Jean-Paul Boëtius on opposite wings is a mouth-watering prospect. Problem is the lack of strikers to cross the ball to. Apart from an uninspiring Mitchell te Vrede in the lone striker role, Elvis Manu, scorer in midweek, will be in Rutten’s mind and may get a start.

ADO manager Henk Fraser has been impressive since taking over midway through last season. Boasting an undefeated record of 11 of their last 12 matches, they head into Sunday’s game with confidence and some good new faces. Xander Houtkoop had a fantastic season at Go Ahead Eagles last year. Twenty four-year-old goalkeeper Martin Hansen, a former Liverpool youth excelled in the Danish league over last two season at Viborg FF and FC Nordsjælland. Finally, experienced Danish international midfielder Thomas Kristensen arrives after six success filled seasons at FC København. All three are set to start, however, the biggest news of the summer for ADO is that young highly-rated striker Mike van Duinen is still at the club.

With the tiredness and exhaustion from the midweek travel and mood affecting the result of the game, I cannot see Feyenoord walking out of the Kyocera Stadion with a win. I feel ADO will be set-up a fresher team and ready to exploit any weakness they find. Rutten will be hoping to get the season going but I feel Fraser’s side will hold the Rotterdammers to a draw.

RECCOMMENDED BET

Draw (3/1 – Bet Victor)

GO AHEAD EAGLES vs. FC GRONINGEN (13:30 BST)

After a disappointing European adventure in the summer, Groningen began their league campaign in Deventer on Sunday afternoon away to Go Ahead Eagles.

A load of players to look out for in this game, Eagles have borrowed a couple from Ajax and both should be on the teamsheet. Young goalkeeper Mickey van der Hart started 27 games in the Eerste Divisie last year for Jong Ajax. Exciting winger Lesly de Sa also appeared for Jong Ajax last term, scoring seven goals in 17 starts. Another definite starter should be left-back Giliano Wijnaldum, brother of Georginio, who signed from Sunday’s opponents FC Groningen. Another two, who could also feature is striker Alex Schalk, signed on a free from NAC Breda and midfielder Peter van Ooijen who arrived from PSV Eindhoven.

Edwin van der Looi brought many exciting reinforcements into Groningen this summer. Danny Hoesen signed on a permanent deal from Ajax, as Richairo Zivkovic went to other way. Signing from Go Ahead, Jarchinio Antonia should start against his former club and possibly haunt them with his right-wing attacks. Big defender Martijn van der Laan arrived from Cambuur and goalkeeper Sergio Padt came from Jupiler Pro side AA Gent as Marco Bizot went the opposite direction to Belgium. All of these players will add some great depth to an already strong squad.

I predict this match could provide a lot of goals and could be the game of the round. Adelaarshorst is a challenging venue for any team but Groningen should have sufficient quality to be able to hold off their opponents to at least claim a point in this one.

RECCOMMENDED BET

Draw (13/5- Bet Victor)

AJAX vs. VITESSE ARNHEM (13:30 BST)

Defending champions Ajax will be out for blood against Vitesse on Sunday after spending all week licking their wounds from last weekend’s Johan Cruijff Schaal defeat in their own backyard to PEC Zwolle.

Undefeated in the last 22 games in the league, Ajax will be vying to keep the run going and get off to a good start on Sunday. World Cup trio, Jasper Cillessen, Joël Veltman and Daley Blind have returned to full training this week after being given extended leave once their involvement in Brazil concluded. It is very unlikely that they will be named in the starting line-up against Vitesse, so in their absence Kenneth Vermeer, Mike van der Hoorn and summer signing from AZ, Nick Viergever should stand in. Elsewhere, Frank de Boer could hand a debut to young Polish striker Arkadiusz Milik, who was loaned from Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen last month.

Peter Bosz will be looking for a change in fortune as his side have lost their last four away matches in the league, but he could not have asked for a harder first game than a trip to the Amsterdam ArenA. Preparations for the new season as usual, have seen Chelsea reserve players have made the switch from Stamford Bridge for the forthcoming season. Burkina Faso international midfielder Bertrand Traoré and Brazilian full-back Wallace have made the move over to Arnhem. Vitesse has strengthened their attacking options bringing in striker Abiola Dauda, who has a great goalscoring record at both Kalmar (Sweden) and Red Star Belgrade (Serbia).

One player who may lead the team to greatness this year has not been mentioned by many pundits but insiders have told me he will make a major impact in the Eredivisie. Arriving early in the window was Denys Oliynyk from Dnipro on a two-year deal. The Ukrainian international was once considered to be one of the most talented players of his generation, however, he has only played 13 games in the past two seasons. It will be interesting to see what happens with this player if he makes the first team.

Ajax will be looking to explode out of the blocks in front of their own crowd to make amends from last weekend’s disappointment; however Vitesse will be prepared for this. Without their World Cup stars, I’m predicting Ajax will find this game a struggle and the draw is my recommended bet.

RECCOMMENDED BET

Draw (33/10 – Bet Victor)

WILLEM II vs. PSV (15:30 BST)

PSV Eindhoven was in Austria this past Thursday to advance to the next round of the Europa League qualifiers, while Willem II would have been resting up preparing for this game, in their return to the Eredivisie.

PSV enter this game with a fantastic head-to-head record, having won their last 17 matches against Willem II in all competitions and I cannot see the streak being broken. Philip Cocu’s men should get the season underway with a hefty victory over Jurgen Streppel’s side. New striker Luuk de Jong has already notched this year in the Europa League and with most wanted Memphis Depay returning from a fantastic World Cup ready to fire PSV to a title challenge. I fail to see the likes of Jordan Peters and Tim Cornelisse keeping them at bay.

Our best bet will be PSV -1 which means we need the Eindhoven side to win by two clear goals to win the bet.

RECCOMMENDED BET

PSV -1 Handicap (31/20 – Bet Victor)

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BETTING TIPS, EREDIVISIE, EREDIVISIE PREVIEW

EREDIVISIE WEEK 1: FRIDAY PREVIEW & BETTING TIPS

August 8, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

The waiting is over and the Eredivisie returns tonight as Ron Jans’ PEC Zwolle host FC Utrecht, hot off the heels of their Johan Cruijff Schaal win over Ajax on Sunday. Will Burns says backing Zwolle to claim victory is how to get the new season underway with a winner.

FRIDAY 8TH AUGUST

PEC ZWOLLE vs. FC UTRECHT (19:00 BST)

The Eredivisie returns tonight as Ron Jans’ PEC Zwolle host FC Utrecht, hot off the heels of their Johan Cruijff Schaal win over Ajax on Sunday and Will Burns says that backing Zwolle to claim victory is the way to start the new season with a winner.

PEC ZWOLLE

PEC Zwolle head into this opening day full of confidence after claiming their second trophy in 105 days. The Blauwvingers defeated Ajax by the solitary Stef Nijland goal last Sunday at the Amsterdam ArenA. Head coach Ron Jans suffered a blow to his season preparations earlier this morning losing arguably his best player last term, Kamohelo Mokotjo to FC Twente for a meagre €1.5m fee. However, it’s not all doom and gloom as earlier in the week, speedy winger Jody Lukoki arrived on a three-year deal from Amsterdam, the 21-year-old spent last season at Cambuur and should be a great addition to Jans’ selection. The winger should get a start on the right this evening with 19-year-old New Zealander Ryan Thomas on the left. On Sunday, Zwolle lined up with Nijland alone up front, however, Jans has added two Greek strikers to his ranks, Dimitrios Ferfelis (TuS Koblenz) and Nikos Ioannidis (Olympiakos) to help in front of goal, but may start on the bench this evening. Losing defensive rock Darryl Lachman to Twente earlier in the summer was disappointing, although the central defensive pairing Trent Sainsbury and Joost Broerse held well against Ajax on Sunday and should retain their place. In midfield, the defensive Ben Rienstra has arrived from Heracles this window and should protect the back four.

FC UTRECHT

It is a new season and a new manager for Utrecht after a disappointing campaign last year. After working his way up the ranks at the club, Rob Alflen replaced Jan Wouters in May following Utrecht’s horrific campaign which almost saw them involved in the relegation battle towards the end of the season. Looking to rebuild the team, Alflen brings a fresh approach and could hand lots of debuts to new signings tonight. A striker well known to watchers of the Eredivisie, Danny Verbeek arrived on loan from Belgian Pro League side Standard Liège after spending the last two years loaned out to NAC Breda. 24-year-old Dutchman and former Arsenal youth Nacer Barazite joined from Monaco and could line up in midfield. New defensive duo could start Christian Kum (Heerenveen) and Ramon Leeuwin (Cambuur) and Anouar Kali could make a return in the red shirt after a year at Roda. Alflen however, will be missing up to five first-teamers as midfielders Édouard Duplan and Willem Jansen, goalkeeper Robbin Ruiter, centre-forward Ruud Boymans and left-back Michael Zullo all miss out with injuries.

MATCH ODDS

After last weekend’s exploits, PEC Zwolle head into the game as favourites with evens being offered at Bet Victor and due to amount of talent that Utrecht is missing, I recommend this to be a great bet. With it being the opening game, it could be a cautious affair and a narrow Zwolle win could be the outcome, the scoreline of 2-1 to Zwolle at 8/1 looks very tempting. Ron Jans’ tactics may be more productive going forward than defensively this season and his side, as always will be an entertaining one to watch. If Zwolle do attack then Utrecht could do some damage on the counter with Jens Toornstra being the main threat scoring 19 goals in his total 48 appearances for the club from midfield. Toornstra is a menace from set-pieces also and is valued at 23/10 for anytime goalscorer. We all know how the goals can flow in the Eredivisie and both teams to score is an interesting but short price of 8/13, nevertheless, if combine that with a PEC Zwolle win and you can nail a great price of 5/2.

RECCOMMENDED BETS

PEC Zwolle to win with Both Teams to Score – 5/2

Jens Toornstra to score anytime – 23/10

SAFE BET

PEC Zwolle to win – Evens

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EREDIVISIE, EREDIVISIE PREVIEW, FEATURE

AJAX SEASON PREVIEW

August 7, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

Ajax

Ajax comes into the 2014-2015 season looking for their fifth straight league title. Hopes are high in Amsterdam as the only notable loss thus far has been former captain and key cog Siem de Jong, who signed with Newcastle United.

While a few others may be on the brink of leaving (Kolbeinn Sigthorsson and perhaps Daley Blind as well as Niklas Moisander), the men in Amsterdam believe they have what it takes to win another trophy. Ajax returns many experienced players from last year’s squad that won the league and nearly advanced to the last sixteen of the Champions League.

Defenders Ricardo van Rhijn, Joël Veltman, and Stefano Denswil return to anchor the defense. They are joined by: now healthy Nicolai Boilesen, newcomer Nick Viergever, and veteran Moisander. Behind the defence stands Jasper Cillessen, who is as confident as ever after helping lead the Dutch national team to a third place finish in Brazil.

The midfield will likely consist of Daley Blind in a deep, central role, flanked by Davy Klaassen and Thulani Serero, in wider more advanced roles. Lerin Duarte and Lucas Andersen will be the primary substitutes used in midfield, with Lerin Duarte to see some action in the starting eleven depending on the opponent and the tactics of manager Frank de Boer.

The attack is where the biggest questions remain. With De Jong gone and Sigthorsson on his way out the door, Ajax needs to find replacement in the attack capable of producing goals. They signed Arkadiusz Milik on loan from German side Bayer Leverkusen as well as Groningen youngster Richairo Zivkovic. Whether these two players are able to produce at the level Ajax needs them to in order to secure a league title remains to be seen. A big factor for these two, or whomever Ajax plays at the number 9 spot, is the service they will receive from the wings.

Lasse Schöne was one of Ajax’s biggest performers last season. A threat from free kicks, Schöne has solidified himself as the team’s first choice right-winger. The left-wing spot belongs to Ricardo Kishna, at least until Viktor Fischer returns from injury sometime during the winter.

Ajax have, under Frank de Boer, been slow starters in the league. In a few instances this has nearly come back to haunt Ajax at the end of the season. After this past weekend’s lost to PEC Zwolle, it looks as if this trend may continue.

Yet, for Frank de Boer it has come to the point where league titles are no longer the only measure of success. What de Boer and Ajax really want is to make it out of the group stages of the Champions League. Many at Ajax believe this would go a long way in helping the club hold onto players who have often been so quick to jump to bigger leagues. As always, two of Ajax’s biggest competitors for the league title will be Feyenoord and PSV. De Boer has had Feyenoord’s number in recent years, but Cocu has something special brewing in Eindhoven, and if PSV can hold onto Memphis Depay, they stand a shot to ruin Ajax’s chances of a fifth straight league title.

TRANSFERS INS AND OUT

IN: Arkadiusz Milik (Bayer Leverkusen), Robert Muric (Dinamo Zagreb), Nick Viergever (AZ Alkmaar), Richairo Zivkovic (FC Groningen).

OUT: Bas Kuipers (Excelsior), Bojan (Stoke City), Lesley de Sa (Go Ahead Eagles), Mickey van der Hart (Go Ahead Eagles), Siem de Jong (Newcastle United).

MANAGER – FRANK DE BOER

A legend at the club, the Ajax fans can’t ask for more from Frank de Boer. However, De Boer wishes to claim every domestic competition and make an impact in the Champions League, the question beckons that does he have the squad to match his expectations?

KEY PLAYER – DAVY KLAASSEN

Davy Klaassen will be looked upon by Frank de Boer to shoulder a heavy load for Ajax. He has been handed the number 10 shirt in the wake of de Jong?s departure. With no true number 9 emerging, thus far for Ajax, Klaassen will be expected to score goals and create chances for the inexperienced forwards of Ajax. Klaassen is a product of the famed Ajax youth system. After narrowly missing out on a spot on the Dutch National Team he is ready to prove himself with Ajax this season. He has shown flashes of brilliance, with some whispers of Bergkamp like potential. Klaassen pledged his future to Ajax through 2017, which should ensure his development. If Ajax are to have a successful season, they will need Klaassen to be a creator, as well as a scorer.

PREDICTION – 2ND

BET VICTOR EREDIVISIE TITLE ODDS: 11/10

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BETTING TIPS, EREDIVISIE, EREDIVISIE PREVIEW, FEATURE

EREDIVISIE 2014/15 SEASON GUIDE

August 7, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

Total Dutch Football previews all 18 teams ahead of the new Eredivisie season beginning this Friday night. Click on a club’s badge below to view their extensive preview and how our team think they will fare in the upcoming 2014/15 season.

The Eredivisie is back and for viewers based in the United Kingdom, it is an exciting time. As of this season, Sky Sports have signed a four-year deal to show the Dutch top flight, so we will the breeding ground for some many playing and coaching talent right in front of our eyes. Lots of changes as per usual in the Eredivisie, as is every year when the vast amount of talent the season before, have moved onto bigger clubs across Europe. It is very apt that the league does get named ‘The Stepping Stone’ division as many stars like Luis Suarez, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Robin van Persie honed their skills in Holland before moving on to the big time. In recent times, we have saw Jan Vertonghen, Christian Eriksen and Siem de Jong all leave the Amsterdam Arena for the dizzy heights of the Premier League.

Could Ajax win an unprecedented fifth title in a row or could we see a new winner of the Eredivisie?

Well what are you watching for?

Click on a club badge below and find out who we think will be holding aloft the Eredivisie shield in May.

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JOHAN CRUIJFF SCHAAL

JOHAN CRUIJFF SCHAAL: Ajax 0-1 PEC Zwolle

August 3, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

SUNDAY 3RD AUGUST 2014

AJAX 0 – 1 PEC ZWOLLE

PEC Zwolle defeated Ajax Amsterdam 1-0 in Amsterdam to win the 2014 Johan Cruijff Schaal. The Amsterdammers won their fourth consecutive league title last year while the Blauwvingers defeated Ajax handily to win their first ever KNVB Beker.

Ajax came into the match with a few new faces and some revenge to enact. Zwolle started the match looking to build off last year’s cup final win and start the 2014-2015 campaign off on a bright note.

The game began with Ajax nearly netting a chance inside of ten minutes, only to hit the post. As a result of the chance, new acquisition Nick Viergever picked up a knee injury. He tried to carry on but was eventually replaced by South African midfielder Thulani Serero.

The early chance was as close as Ajax would get all evening. Much of the game was played at nothing more than a walking pace. Ajax struggled to break down the Zwolle defence and create opportunities and the best chances came from a few Lasse Schöne free-kicks, with Zwolle keeper Diederik Boer making a couple class saves.

Ajax were missing three of their normal starters in Jasper Cillessen, Daley Blind and Joël Veltman. All three are resting after playing in the World Cup for the Dutch National Team. While Kenneth Vermeer filled in capably for Cillessen, the absence of Veltman and Blind were evident.

The backline looked in disarray at times as Nicolai Boilesen and Ruben Ligeon gave away too much space and let the Zwolle attackers in behind too often. Ligeon had a poor afternoon, giving the ball away far too easily, finding himself out of position time and time again and adding very little in attack and build-up play.

Niklas Moisander looked frustrated throughout the night, playing alongside three relatively inexperienced defenders in Boilesen, Mike van der Hoorn and Ligeon. The Zwolle attackers took advantage, as they had their way on the wings. The likes of Stef Nijland, Mustafa Saymak, Jesper Drost and Kamohelo Mokotjo created problems for the Ajax midfield and defence all match. Going forward, Blind’s penetrating passing ability was missed. The only player who dared to play such balls was Davy Klaassen, however most were unsuccessful. Klaassen played in a deeper role than he is used to, and it showed as he was largely ineffective.

For Zwolle, Mokotjo controlled the defensive midfield and played the role that Blind typically plays for Ajax. Mokotjo was crucial for Zwolle as he dispossessed the Ajax attack numerous times and started a few dangerous counters. He assisted Zwolle’s only goal on one of these said counters, a brilliant cross to Stef Nijland. Mokotjo has been linked to Ajax recently and his performance today will only fuel those transfer talks.

Another key cog for Zwolle was goalkeeper Diederik Boer, ironically also linked with a move to Ajax this summer. Boer controlled his penalty area confidently throughout the match He added two nice saves on Lasse Schöne free-kicks to go along with his quality distribution.

The talk around Ajax after this match will be whether another attacking option is needed. Loanee Arkadiusz Milik was very quiet while Ricardo Kishna and Ahmed El Ghazi are still very young, Kolbeinn Sigthorsson is said to be on his way out and Viktor Fischer is out injured until the new year.

In Zwolle, expectations are higher than ever. Can Ron Jans deliver? After two straight trophy wins against Ajax, the Blauwvingers’ faithful believe anything is possible. Another deep KNVB Beker run, a competitive Europa League showing, and a top six finish would be a success. They have the manager and squad to do it.

TEAMS

AJAX: Vermeer, Ligeon, Van der Hoorn, Moisander, Boilesen, Klaassen, Viergever (Serero 39), Andersen, Schöne, Milik (Sigthorsson 82), Kishna (El Ghazi 60).

SUBS NOT USED: Leeuwenbergh, Tete, Denswil, Duarte.

GOALS: None.

BOOKINGS: Moisander 45.

ZWOLLE: Boer, Van Polen, Sainsbury, Broerse, Van Hintum, Mokotjo, Rienstra, Saymak, Drost, Thomas (Karagounis 62), Nijland (Ioannidis 68).

SUBS NOT USED: De Jong, Lam, Pereira, Dekker, Mahmudov.

GOALS: Nijland 55.

BOOKINGS: Van Polen 50, Rienstra 54, Van Hintum 83, Ioannidis 90.

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BETTING TIPS, JOHAN CRUIJFF SCHAAL

JOHAN CRUIJFF SCHAAL PREVIEW: Ajax vs. PEC Zwolle

August 3, 2014 Will Burns Leave a comment

SUNDAY 3RD AUGUST 2014

AJAX vs. PEC ZWOLLE (17:00 BST)

The Amsterdam Arena will host the Johan Cruijff Schaal this Sunday afternoon, as Frank de Boer’s Ajax will look for retribution in their own backyard against Ron Jans’s PEC Zwolle by Will Burns.

Zwolle smashed five past the Amsterdammers in the KNVB Beker final last April at De Kuip, home of Feyenoord. The Dutch cup is only domestic championship that has evaded De Boer in his tenure in Amsterdam and Ajax headed into Rotterdam that day as heavy favourites. The Blauwvingers defied all the odds and not only defeated the reigning Eredivisie champions, but desecrated them.

Ajax got off to the dream start as defender Ricardo van Rhijn hit a long range effort into the roof of Diederik Boer’s goal after just three minutes. However, the Ajax fans turned their celebrations into a ten-minute stoppage in the match after hurling fireworks onto the De Kuip pitch. After the pleading from the stewards and police to stop the flare throwing, Ajax legend Edwin van der Sar entered the fray to plead with the disrupters which seemed to finally do the trick.

Those same fans were feeling rather foolish after the restart as Zwolle emerged full of spark (pun intended) and a deflected shot from young New Zealander Ryan Thomas levelled the scores right in front of the troublesome crowd area. As Jans had just finished his punching of the air on the sidelines, Thomas smashed home a second goal minutes later, latching on a rebound after a Maikel van der Werff free-kick cannoned back of the post. An inspirational performance from the impressive Kamohelo Mokotjo, capped off a breakthrough season for the South African midfielder, when he fed on-loan Feyenoord striker Guyon Fernandez in for a third after 22 minutes of play. Fernandez added a fourth before half-time before Bram van Polen hammered the final nail into Ajax’s coffin firing home from a corner just five minutes after the interval. Frank de Boer, his team and their fans trudged on their coaches that night with the tail firmly between their legs.

Highlights below of Zwolle’s 5-1 cup final win over Ajax – via Ajax TV

Both sides will line up with many changes to their squads over the summer. Ajax have lost creative attacker Siem de Jong to Newcastle United and veteran Danish holding midfielder Christian Poulsen, now at the ripe old age of 34, was surplus to requirements as his contract whittled down.

The recruitment this summer has seen some unproven but promising young talent arrive in Amsterdam. The highly-rated Richairo Zivkovic joined from FC Groningen and looks to play a massive part in Ajax’s defence of the Eredivisie title, as Polish striker Arkadiusz Milik was loaned in from Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen. The 20-year-old Milik has impressed in pre-season, notching goals in many of the friendlies and looks like he could be a real threat instead of relying on Icelander Kolbeinn Sigthorsson, who only grabbed ten goals last season. Eventually signing a four-year deal is Robert Muric, 18-year-old Croatian midfielder, who’s move dragged on throughout the months after a contract wrangle with Dinamo Zagreb. The defence was also improved as Nick Viergever joined from rivals AZ Alkmaar for a fee of €2.5million.

In Zwolle, the core of the team has been diminished, which is very disappointing especially when the side are due to compete in European Football for the first time in their history. Big defender Darryl Lachman, a rock in the centre of defence last year, move onto FC Twente and striking pair Guyon Fernandez (a free agent after being released from Feyenoord) and Fred Benson (Moldovan side Sheriff Tiraspol) have moved on. Luckily for Jans, he still has Mokotjo, the star of the show, at his selction even though Frank de Boer has spoke about taking the midfielder and goalkeeper Diederik Boer to Ajax last month.

Jans has recruited well and could have unearthed a gem by signing Ben Rienstra from Heracles Almelo. Rienstra is a strong defensive midfielder that will protect the back four as well provide Mokotjo with support. Incoming from AZ Alkmaar is Finnish Under-21 international centre-back Thomas Lam as goalkeeper Boy de Jong, aged 20, signed on following his release from Feyenoord. Replacing Fernandez and Benson in attack are two Greek strikers, both with experience in German football. Twenty-year old centre forward Nikos Ioannidis arrives on a two-year loan with an option to buy from Olympiakos after scoring 6 goals in 30 games last season for Hansa Rostock. Finally, Dimitrios Ferfelis arrives from TuS Koblenz after notching 17 goals in 52 games over the last two terms in Regionalliga Südwest division.

As for the history between the two clubs, obviously, Ajax possesses the far superior record in meetings. In nine prior encounters, the Amsterdam giants have won seven, drawn one and the cup final defeat was their first and only loss so far.

Zwolle will put up a fight in this encounter; however, Ajax will desire to use this game as a launching pad for another successful season. Ajax needs vengeance, while Zwolle wants another scalp and their first Johan Cruijff Schaal, stopping Frank de Boer from claiming his fifth Schaal in a row.

However, can history repeat itself and Zwolle cause an upset again? Online bookmakers Betfair does not seem to think so, they have Zwolle as the major underdog at a massive 9/1 to overcome the Eredivisie champions.

For our best bet, I look at the goals market. Ajax have no shortage of firepower and I feel revenge will be served with the Amsterdammers seeing off Zwolle with ease. A 3-1 or 4-1 victory seems likely with chances produced at both ends, with 9/1 and 14/1 being offered respectively. Although our safest bet sees Over 3.5 Goals which is valued at 11/10 at Betfair and I see that our recommended punt.

BEST BET: Over 3.5 Goals (11/10 – Betfair) – Click here to join Betfair and claim up to £50 in free bets.

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