Ajax vs Brighton Tips and Predictions

Brighton were considered one of the favourites of the 2023/24 UEFA Europa League at the start of the season but it took them three matches to get the first win in the competition. That match was against Ajax two weeks back and gave the Seagulls hope for knockout stage qualification.

On Thursday, November 9, the two teams will meet again, this time at Johan Cruyff Arena. The kick-off is scheduled for 6:45 pm local time. The match will be decisive for both teams.

The Dutch side has improved since the arrival of caretaker John van ‘t Schip, though, a point we will consider further in our Ajax vs Brighton tips.

Both teams to score? Yes

Ajax opened the 2023/24 campaign with Maurice Steijn in charge, and the Dutch giants actually recorded one of the worst starts to the season in their history as they were sitting in the relegation zone at the time of the manager’s departure on October 23. Now, Ajax have hired John van t’ Schip on an interim basis and have won the two matches under his command.

While it is too early to claim that all of Ajax’s problems have been solved, we can see them improving. So, after failing to score against Brighton at Falmer Stadium, we expect the Eredivisie club to get on the scoreline at home.

At the same time, we believe that the Seagulls will score too due to having a better squad. Bet365 offers 1.44 odds on both teams scoring.

Over 2.5 goals

At the same time, we expect the match at Johan Cruyff Arena to go beyond two goals. The odds on over 2.5 goals stand at 1.44 on Bet365.

We should keep in mind that the match against Brighton is a do or die for Ajax. The Dutch team currently sits last in Group B, and in case of a loss, Van ‘t Schip’s men can virtually say goodbye to the knockout stages. For these reasons, we expect the home side to be more attack-oriented than in the previous head-to-head clash.

At the same time, this should leave more free spaces at the back for the Albion to exploit. The visitors have brilliant runners like Kaoru Mitoma, Ansu Fati and others that can make use of that potential space. Brighton will be happy to score as many as they can as three points here would bring them so much closer to qualifying for the next round.

Ansu Fati to score anytime

And speaking about those fast runners, we believe in Ansu Fati’s chances to score against Ajax. The Spain international finished the previous encounter with a goal, and Bet365 give 1.72 odds on him scoring anytime during the return leg at Johan Cruyff Stadium too.

Ansu Fati is not a regular starter for Brighton but this has not stopped the 21-year-old from scoring three times in the last six matches. Besides, he has so far started every single game for the Albion in the UEFA Europa League and we expect him to play from the first minutes again.

Fati joined Brighton on loan in order to recover his long-lost form but has failed to start a single match in the Premier League. Thus, the forward needs to take advantage of every opportunity he is given in other tournaments, and there is no better way of doing it other than by scoring a goal!

Please remember to always gamble responsibly. Our Ajax vs Brighton tips are mere suggestions, not a call to action. Always rely on your own judgement in the end.