Sion vs Ajax – News and Probable Lineups

Two teams in good form will meet in the Conference League playoff round as Sion and Ajax clash in the first leg at Stade de Tourbillon on Thursday, both aiming for a favorable outcome ahead of the return match in Amsterdam next week.

The Swiss side enters this home leg with an unbeaten streak of six matches, winning five of them, while the Dutch side remains unblemished under head coach Michel, achieving four victories from six competitive outings under the former Girona manager.

Match overview

After suffering a 4-2 loss to Young Boys at the end of July, few could have predicted the impressive run that Sion would embark on afterwards.

Didier Tholot’s squad has recorded five wins from their last six matches, with their only setback being a 2-2 draw against Noah during the Conference League qualifying at the start of August, a result earned under challenging circumstances as Nias Hefti saw red for two yellow cards.

What bolsters their unbeaten record is an impressive scoring run, with the home team consistently finding the net multiple times in every match, having tallied three or more goals in victories against BATE (4-0), Luzern (3-0), Vaduz (3-2) and Kerzers (6-1).

However, their penchant for outscoring opponents may not be sufficient when facing a side with equally potent attacking options.

Tholot’s tactical approach will face scrutiny, especially considering his team has failed to keep a clean sheet in four successive games leading up to this encounter, although they are pitted against a team with similar defensive challenges.

This foreshadows a highly entertaining match, a type of game that Ajax is well-acquainted with as they make the journey to Sion this week.

Michel is still getting accustomed to his new role in Amsterdam, but supporters are likely expecting an exciting season of engaging football from De Joden.

Ajax has managed just one clean sheet during the new manager’s commendable early tenure — defeating PEC Zwolle 2-0 in the Eredivisie — but has yet to find another win across different competitions.

They have seen two matches end with a score of 2-2 against Shelbourne and Heerenveen, the latter featuring Ajax giving away leads twice, only to be equalized by Jacob Trenskow and an 82nd-minute equalizer from Maxence Rivera.

With Mika Godts having moved to Paris Saint-Germain, the club is lacking significant quality in the final third, particularly with Wout Weghorst’s departure earlier this summer.

Still, fans will look for strong performances from Steven Berghuis and Oscar Gloukh as they aim to recover from losing two of the club’s top scorers from last season.

Team News

Kreshnik Hajrizi has not featured for the Swiss side since May and is doubtful to play, even with his name included in Tholot’s squad.

Winsley Boteli has scored three goals in four outings in Conference League qualifying prior to this fixture, and the forward will be confident in his ability to hit the target again.

The 20-year-old is backed by fellow goalscorers Rilind Nivokazi and Batata, each having scored twice and capable of making a decisive impact should the young forward have an off-day against the Dutch team.

Michel will miss Daley Blind (knock), Josip Sutalo, Rayane Bounida, Amourricho van Axel Dongen (thigh) and Ahmetcan Kaplan (knee injury) for the first-leg playoff match.

Apart from Berghuis and Gloukh, Ajax can rely on Kasper Dolberg and new signings Julian Brandt and Tolu Arokodare to influence the matches.

Brandt has already netted two in four appearances for De Joden, while Arokodare has one goal and an assist in his four outings across all competitions for Ajax.

Sion probable starting XI:

Racioppi; Lavanchy, Sow, Kronig, Cipriano; Kabacalman, Baltazar; Chouaref, Boteli, Surdez; Nivokazi

Ajax probable starting XI:

Ter Stegen; Rosa, Bouman, Boss, Henrique; Klaassen, Government; Berghuis, Gloukh, Brandt; Dolberg

While Ajax enters the match as the favorites to secure an advantage in the first leg, their ongoing defensive issues, along with a tendency to squander leads, will surely give the home side ample reasons for optimism.

Tholot’s assured squad possesses a potent attack and could exploit those weaknesses to secure an exciting draw at Stade de Tourbillon.