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Football, Match Previews

Benfica vs Ajax – Champions League Last 16 predictions

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The Champions League last 16 fixtures are finally upon us after a two month break since the group stages.

In a tie that is highly likely to be entertaining, two excellent young teams go head-to-head as Portuguese giants Benfica clash Eredivisie champions Ajax for a spot in the quarter-finals.

Lets take a look at the tie in more detail and make our predictions to see who will progress into the last eight of Europe’s most prestigious cup competition.

Route to Last 16

SL Benfica arguably caused the shock of the group stages as they pipped Barcelona to the runners-up spot in a group also containing Bayern Munich and Dinamo Kyiv.

They claimed a 3-0 win over the La Liga outfit at the Estadio Da Luz, before a 0-0 draw at the Camp Nou meant they only needed to match Barca’s result in the final game. They won 2-0 against Kyiv to seal their spot, having scored seven goals and conceded nine.

Jorge Jesus has since left the club however, replaced by Nelson Verissimo until the end of the season.

Ajax completed a stunning group stage phase with six wins out of six, as Sebastian Haller scored ten goals to lead the scoring charts, scoring in all six games.

Erik Ten Haag’s side dominated a group including Sporting CP, Dortmund and Besiktas, scoring 20 goals and conceding just five to assert themselves as dark horses for the title.

Team news

Benfica have been in good form domestically but were held to a 2-2 draw most recently against Boavista. Grimaldo returned to the team and scored in that game, in a huge boost to the side.

Darwin Nunez has been in exceptional form this season with 21 goals in 26 games and will continue in attack, but Haris Seferovic is missing for the hosts. Goncalo Ramos should start in his place.

Ajax will be without trio Brian Brobbey, Martin Stekelenburg and Sean Klaiber, while Andre Onana is likely to continue to sit in the stands ahead of his summer move to Inter Milan.

Haller will continue in attack, while superstar winger Antony will continue to support him along with Dusan Tadic as they look to continue their 100% record throughout the competition.

Breakdown and Prediction

Benfica’s 442 system will be in place as usual to try and find a hole in the Ajax defence, but the Dutch giants are going to be well equipped for this fixture.

Having already been to Lisbon and dominated Sporting, they’re coming up against a lesser side who play a system more suited to them and they should have too much for them in attack.

Benfica have got plenty of firepower and defensively are quite strong, so don’t rule out an upset in the home leg but realistically this is an Ajax side at their absolute peak under Ten Hag.

The Dutch giants will dominate the tempo of the game and possession and slowly but surely chip away before scoring goals and claiming a routine win over two legs.

Benfica 1-3 Ajax
Ajax 2-0 Benfica
(Ajax to qualify 5-1 on aggregate)

atletico madrid vs manchester united – champions league last 16 prediction
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Football, Transfers

Manchester United Close To First Summer Signing

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Manchester United are closing in on their first signing of the transfer window after agreeing a fee with Ajax for midfielder Donny Van De Beek.

The Dutch international was all set for a move to the Bernabeu when he agreed terms with the club earlier this year, but the deal was scuppered after Real Madrid pulled the plug following the COVID-19 pandemic.

It was then reported that the player had become a top target for Madrid’s fierce rivals Barcelona following the appointment of former Holland manager Ronald Koeman. However after Van De Beek was pulled from a friendly game for Ajax this weekend due to advancements in a deal, Barcelona sources ruled out their involvement citing that Gini Wijnaldum had been prioritised instead.

That has allowed Manchester United, who have been monitoring the midfielder for several months, to step in and swoop to secure a deal for a reported fee of around €40million.

Van De Beek will sign a five-year deal with the Red Devils and is expected to put pen to paper on the contract in the coming week.

A box-to-box midfielder, VdB is an energetic playmaker who’s best position is as an advanced midfielder. He has an eye for goal, as shown in his appearances against Tottenham, Chelsea and Juventus in the Champions League over the last two campaigns. He’s got a good eye for a pass too with 7 assists added to his 14 goals this season but he’s not shy defensively either. As noted in this article written in June, Van De Beek stands up statistically alongside United’s defensive midfield options Nemanja Matic and Fred.

United’s midfield is now stacked with good options as the Dutchman joins Paul Pogba, Bruno Fernandes, Nemanja Matic, Fred and Scott McTominay in Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s plans. It’s possible that one of those leaves, with Fred reportedly a target for Turkish giants Galatasaray.

Red Devils fans will now be hoping the club can press on quickly with other targets as Jadon Sancho is still reportedly keen on a move to Old Trafford while the club have reportedly registered their interest in Bayern Munich midfielder Thiago Alcantara in recent days as Liverpool stall on meeting the €30million asking price.

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