Ajax vs Lazio predictions, odds and betting tips

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Ajax face Lazio in what promises to be a fascinating Europa League encounter.

Ajax vs Lazio best bets

Draw – 5/2 with Midnite
Ajax to score in the first half – 5/6 with Midnite
Mika Godts to score any time – 12/5 with Midnite

Ajax vs Lazio odds

Find the latest match odds for Ajax vs Lazio. All odds are provided by our best football betting sites. Odds are subject to change.

Ajax vs Lazio predictions

By their historically high standards, the 2023/24 season was nothing short of a dismal failure for Ajax.

The club cycled through four managers (including interim appointments) and three chief executives during a chaotic campaign which saw them finish fifth in the Eredivisie. That was their worst performance in the league since the late 1990s.

There was not much to cheer elsewhere either. Ajax were dumped out in the second round of the KNBV Cup and did not make it out of their Europa League group.

A third-place finish in that competition saw them drop down into the Conference League, where Ajax suffered a 4-0 defeat by Aston Villa in the round of 16.

Everything that could go wrong did. The question at the start of this season was whether Ajax had already hit rock-bottom or whether there was room for further deterioration.

Thankfully for the club’s supporters, it looks like Ajax have got their act together under Francesco Farioli, their first foreign manager in the 21st century.

In the Eredivisie they are struggling to keep pace with Peter Bosz’s extraordinary PSV team, who have taken 42 points from the first 44 on offer, but Ajax are hot on the heels of Utrecht in second place.

They are going well in the Europa League too. Ajax had to enter the competition in the second qualifying round on account of their poor domestic performance last term.

After battling their way past Vojvodina, Panathinaikos and Jagiellonia Bialystok, Ajax earned a berth in the tournament proper. A return of 10 points from their first five games has them sixth in the standings ahead of this clash with table-toppers Lazio on Thursday.

The club from the Italian capital head into this game on a high. Not only are they sitting at the summit in the Europa League, they have just beaten Napoli twice in the space of a few days, once in the Coppa Italia and once in Serie A.

Marco Baroni’s boys are now only three points off top spot back home, while another couple of wins in the Europa League would guarantee them a spot in the last 16.

Ajax will also be searching for maximum points on matchday six. This promises to be an intriguing encounter at the Johan Cruyff Arena.

Ajax vs Lazio betting tips

Will Ajax or Lazio come out on top when they go head-to-head in the Europa League?

Draw

Whereas Lazio warmed up for this game with those double-header victories over Napoli, Ajax suffered their first league defeat in 13 matches at the weekend.

Farioli’s charges went down 2-1 to AZ, a result which allowed PSV to pull nine points clear of the Amsterdammers at the summit of the standings.

Still, Ajax are yet to lose a home game in the Eredivisie or the Europa League proper, so it will not be easy for Lazio to emerge victorious.

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Having taken 13 points from the first 15 available, Lazio would probably settle for a point on matchday six.

At the odds available, this bet represents pretty good value given how evenly matched Ajax and Lazio seem to be.

⚽ Go for a draw at 5/2 with Midnite ⚽

Ajax to score in the first half

Lazio have only conceded two goals in their five previous matches. No team in the tournament has a better defensive record than that.

It is hard to see Lazio keeping a clean sheet on Thursday, though. Ajax are the joint-top scorers in the league phase and they rank second for expected goals too, which shows they are creating plenty of chances.

Farioli will instruct his team to make a fast start here. Ajax have home advantage behind them and Lazio have had a particularly busy schedule of late. The hosts will attempt to catch their opponents cold.

Ajax have scored six first-half goals in five European encounters. That is more than 16 sides have managed in either half.

In our view, Lazio goalkeeper Christos Mandas (he usually starts ahead of first-choice shot-stopper Ivan Provedel in this tournament) will have to pick the ball out of his net in the opening 45 minutes.

⚽ Tip Ajax to score in the first half at 5/6 with Midnite ⚽

Mika Godts to score any time

Mika Godts made 21 appearances for Ajax prior to this season, but he did not manage to find the net in any of them.

All of a sudden, everything has clicked for the 19-year-old. Godts has scored six goals in all competitions since the beginning of the current campaign.

The young Belgian particularly enjoys the Europa League, where he has made the net ripple four times so far.

Granted, some of those strikes came in the qualifying rounds, but Godts did notch a handy brace against Besiktas in the league phase.

The teenager, who usually starts on the left, is ready to make his mark against Lazio this week.

⚽ Choose Mika Godts to score any time at 12/5 with Midnite ⚽

📺 How to watch Ajax vs Lazio

Location: Johan Cruyff Stadium, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Date and time: Thursday 12th December, 8pm.
How to watch: TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports 5.

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