Ajax Amsterdam vs Inter Milan
Ajax and Inter renew an old rivalry dating back to the 1972 European Cup final (won by Ajax) – though Ajax have never beaten Inter in the Champions League, losing 3 of 4 recent meetings. The hosts have started well under interim coach John Heitinga (all wins at home and an unbeaten start) . Inter finished second in Serie A and reached last year’s final, but were humbled 5-0 by PSG (Inzaghi’s last game) . With a new coach, Cristian Chivu, Inter have shown mixed domestic form and will look to bounce back. Ajax will attack in their usual 4-3-3, while Inter may set up with two forwards.
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Head-to-Head: In Champions League meetings, Inter have dominated – 4 games, 3 wins for Inter, 0 for Ajax. Ajax.
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Team News: Ajax are almost fully fit – the only absentee is midfielder Branco van den Boomen (back). Weghorst, Godts, and Berghuis look set to form a potent front trio. Inter have no fresh injury concerns and have added new signings: Manuel Akanji, Petar Sučić, Andy Diou, and Ange-Yoann Bonny are available. Captain Lautaro Martínez (9 CL goals last season) and Marcus Thuram (3 league goals already) will lead the attack.
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Probable Lineups: Ajax (4-3-3): Járónćak; Gaaei, Itakura, Baas, Wijndal; Regeer, Taylor, Klaassen; Berghuis, Weghorst, Godts.
Inter (4-2-3-1): Sommer; Akanji, Acerbi, Bastoni, Dimarco; Dumfries, Calhanoglu, Pašalić, Frimpong; Thuram, Martínez .
Prediction: Ajax 2–2 Inter Milan. Ajax’s attack is sharp, but Inter’s quality (and away resilience) suggests a draw, mirroring the 2-2 scoreline predicted by analysts
