Heracles Almelo
- Heracles Almelo have failed to win any of their last five Eredivisie matches (D2, L3).
- Heracles are in the middle of a relegation dogfight and currently sit bottom of the Eredivisie with 19 points from 29 matches.
- Ernest Faber has instilled some structure on his team, who are usually set up to be as compact as possible and look to punish opponents on the break.
- The home side will set up to be compact and force Ajax into wide areas, hoping to exploit counter-attacks and set-piece opportunities.
- Heracles have won four of their 14 Eredivisie home matches this season, conceding 29 goals, an average of 2.07 per game.
Ajax
- Ajax have failed to win any of their last three Eredivisie away matches (D2, L1).
- Ajax sit 5th in the Eredivisie table with 48 points from 29 games, and a European spot is what they are targeting for the season-ender.
- They have been prolific on their travels this season, scoring 25 times in 14 Eredivisie away trips, but they’ve won just three of those matches and hold the league’s record for most draws on the road - nine.
- Ajax’s pressing game and ability to flow between the thirds will test Heracles' deep block and their reliance on transitions.
Head-to-Head
Ajax have won one, drawn two and lost two of their last five Eredivisie games, but have the class to get back to winning ways against a side they have beaten in the last two head-to-head meetings, 2-0 in Amsterdam seven months ago .
Key Players
Luka Kulenovic is Heracles’ top scorer this term with five Eredivisie goals in 25 appearances, while Mika Godts is Ajax’s main goal threat, with 14 strikes in 27 league games.
Betting Insights
Ajax are favourites to beat 18th-placed Heracles Almelo when these two sides face off in the Eredivisie on Saturday, and the odds on offer suggest that they will do so with room to spare.
Prediction
We expect Ajax to dominate possession, create chances, and ultimately do enough to claim an away win in a game that should see both teams score and over 2.5 total goals, but the odds are short in these markets, so we’re taking the two for the price of one option - both teams to score and over 2.5 goals, while Ajax to take the win .
