Panathinaikos vs Ajax Amsterdam: Europa League Betting Tips 08/08/2024
The battle for a place in the Europa League main league stage continues for Panathinaikos and Ajax as both sides go head-to-head in Athens on Thursday in the third qualifying round.
The Dutch giants have an expectation of European football as befits their history, and will aim to seize control of this tie ahead of the return leg in Amsterdam, but should face a stern test against Diego Alonso’s rejuvenated Panathinaikos.
Panathinaikos, buoyed by a strong performance in the previous round, where they dismantled Botev Plovdiv 6-1 on aggregate, will be no pushovers. However, their home record in Europa League qualifiers has been characterized by narrow results, with their last four matches ending 1-0, split evenly between wins and losses.
Nevertheless, their ability to find the net cannot be overlooked, as evidenced by their ten goals in the last four matches. Alexander Jeremejeff, with three goals in the Europa League qualifiers, will be a key figure for the Greeks and a tempting anytime scorer option at 2.75 odds on Betwinner.
Panathinaikos finished 4th in last season’s Greek Super League playoffs, and have strengthened their squad significantly over the summer as they look to do better this term. New acquisitions Tete, Sverrir Ingi Ingason, Bartlomiej Dragowski, Tin Jedvaj, Nemanja Maksimovic, and George Baldock have bolstered their squad. Coupled with the experience of Gnezda Cerin and Jeremejeff’s goal-scoring prowess, they will enter this tie confident of their chances.
Ajax’s resurgence under Farioli
Meanwhile, Ajax, are in a rebuilding phase under new manager Francesco Farioli. A fifth-place finish in the Eredivisie last season was disappointing by their standards, but a recent surge in form, including six consecutive victories, suggests a positive trajectory under the Italian.
Their impressive 4-1 aggregate win over Vojvodina in the previous round and strong away record, with just one defeat and 14 goals in their last six away games, should fill them with confidence ahead of this tie. Another factor in favour of the Amsterdam side is their positive head-to-head against Panathinaikos, having failed to score in only one of their seven encounters and keeping four clean sheets.
However, the visitors could be hamstrung by the absence of goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli, and injuries to Owen Wijndal and Gaston Avila could impact their defence. Nonetheless, a formidable attacking lineup featuring the likes of Brian Brobbey, Steven Bergwijn, Chuba Akpom, and Kenneth Taylor promises to pose a constant threat to the Greek rearguard.
Betting Tip: Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.696 odds on Betwinner
08/08 19:00 Panathinaikos – Ajax Amsterdam Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.696 (Betwinner)
Given the attacking potential of both teams, coupled with Ajax’s impressive away record in terms of goals scored and the historical goal-scoring records in their meetings, the over 2.5 goals market is the compelling pick here.
This is particularly evident as Ajax have surpassed this goal total in an impressive 16 out of their last 17 away matches.
Therefore, we recommend backing the Over 2.5 Goals bet at 1.696 odds on Betwinner.
Panathinaikos vs Ajax Amsterdam - Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.696
Panathinaikos vs Ajax Amsterdam - Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.696 Possible Starting Lineups:
Panathinaikos: Dragowski; Baldock, Ingason, Jedvaj, Mladenovic; Cerin, Arao; Tete, Bakasetas, Djuricic; Jeremejeff
Ajax: Pasveer; Rensch, Sutalo, Baas, Hato; Taylor, Henderson, Van den Boomen; Ramsussen, Akpom, Berghuis
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