Ajax vs Heerenveen – News and Probable Lineups

After securing their playoff spot in the Conference League, Ajax are set to host Heerenveen at the Johan Cruyff Arena on Sunday, looking to claim their second consecutive victory in the Eredivisie as the new season gets underway.

Since taking over, Michel has remained unbeaten in competitive matches, and while their winning run was interrupted during the week, De Joden remain strong contenders to overcome the Super Frisians in Amsterdam.

Match overview

Last season, Ajax struggled to overcome Heerenveen on their home ground, failing to secure victory in both the home and away fixtures on the last matchday of the 2025-26 season, though these results were exceptions in an otherwise dominant series of encounters.

The Amsterdam club had secured seven victories in the eight previous meetings before last term’s two draws, and will aim to re-establish their dominance in this matchup this weekend.

The team is geared up to return to their winning ways, despite their recent 2-2 draw against Shelbourne on Thursday, which halted their string of seven straight victories across all competitions.

Michel’s squad had taken a 3-1 lead from the first leg and needed only to avoid a collapse in Dublin to proceed to the playoff round of the third-tier European club competition.

The only concern for the home supporters ahead of the new manager’s debut in the Eredivisie is the ongoing difficulty in maintaining clean sheets, with just three achieved in 11 matches since the beginning of pre-season, which should give Heerenveen a measure of confidence leading into this weekend’s contest.

Heerenveen’s Robin Veldman arrives in Amsterdam with his squad riding high on the back of an offensive display, even though their opening match was a more mundane 1-0 win against Twente following a high-scoring pre-season.

However, the Superfriezen had shown they could produce a significant attacking threat, averaging three goals across their four pre-season matches before managing just one in their last outing.

Yet, they believe they can provide stiff competition for Ajax, whose defensive vulnerabilities are well noticed prior to their first league match with their new manager.

The potential challenges that Veldman’s side might pose depend largely on erasing their struggles from last season, in which they lost eight of 17 away matches, achieving six victories for the entire season.

With their previous season ending in two matches without scoring in their last three away games, the traveling fans will look for a turnaround this Sunday at a venue known to bring them little joy historically.

Team News

Mika Godts’s transfer to Paris Saint-Germain is nearing completion, leaving Ajax without their star attacker as they begin the season.

Julian Brandt has already made a noticeable impact, scoring a dramatic 95th-minute goal in his debut for De Godenzonen last week, joining Jorthy Mokio, who netted in the 76th minute.

Although Steven Berghuis and Oscar Gloukh did not manage to score or assist in the first match, both remain potential match-winners for Ajax, along with Kasper Dolberg, who is expected to be in the starting lineup as the centre-forward.

Ajax will evaluate veteran Daley Blind, who is dealing with an injury, as well as Josip Sutalo, Rayane Bounida, Ahmetcan Kaplan (knee), and Amourricho van Axel Dongen (thigh), all of whom are anticipated to miss the match.

Conversely, Heerenveen does not face as many injury concerns as their opponents, but Oliver Braude and Mats Egbring will be assessed ahead of the weekend clash.

Dylan Vente may not have found the net on the opening day, but his previous form, scoring six times in four matches before last weekend, highlights his attacking ability.

Jacob Trenskow is also capable of being a game-changer, having assisted last week’s winning goal, bringing his contributions to six in five games leading up to matchday two’s visit to Amsterdam.

Ajax probable starting XI:

Ter Stegen; Rosa, Bouwman, Baas, Caio Henrique; Klaassen, Regeer; Berghuis, Dolberg, Brandt

Heerenveen probable starting XI:

Clover Jack; Petrov, Willemsen, Kersten, Zagaritis; Linday, Proper, Meerveld; Trenskow, Vente, Oyen

Even though Heerenveen heads to Amsterdam after their opening-day triumph, their historically poor record away in this matchup suggests they may struggle against Ajax’s potent offensive capabilities.

With Brandt already making a significant impact following his debut goal, Michel’s squad possesses the quality needed in the final third to secure a win in front of their home crowd.