Telstar vs Ajax – News and Probable Lineups

With a seven-place gap between them in the early Eredivisie standings, Telstar is set to host a high-scoring Ajax at BUKO Stadion on Sunday, aiming to end the visitors’ 13-match undefeated streak.

Michel’s squad has shown their attacking potential since pre-season, scoring five times in Thursday’s 5-3 victory over Sion, advancing to the Conference League proper and providing a welcome confidence boost ahead of their upcoming match against the White Lions.

Match overview

Ajax has fully embraced the unpredictability of the game under Michel, with De Joden’s bold style yielding six wins in eight competitive matches, alongside two draws.

The illustrious Amsterdam side has focused on outscoring their opponents in the initial stages under their new head coach, as clean sheets have been notably scarce under the previous Girona manager.

Thus far, their only shutout occurred in the Eredivisie, where they secured a 2-0 win against PEC Zwolle on the opening matchday; since then, they have not maintained a clean sheet for four consecutive matches.

Curiously, Ajax has conceded at least two goals in each of those fixtures, with draws of 2-2 against Shelbourne and Heerenveen, a 4-2 triumph over Sion in Switzerland, and allowing three goals in the reverse encounter on Thursday, which ended 5-3 in favor of De Godenzonen.

While it’s uncertain whether this approach will last throughout the season, supporters of the 36-time Eredivisie champions can certainly enjoy the entertainment provided by their free-scoring team as they aim to usurp PSV Eindhoven as champions by season’s end.

Facing Telstar poses a significant challenge, particularly in light of last season’s fiercely contested encounters against the White Lions, despite having registered a 2-0 and 3-2 victory on those occasions.

However, Anthony Correia has since moved to FC Utrecht, and Henk Brugge has taken charge of the team that finished 14th last term, narrowly avoiding relegation to the Eerste Divisie.

The start of their season has been inconsistent, with De Witte Leeuwen emerging victorious against Europa League participants NEC Nijmegen on the opening day before suffering a 3-1 home defeat in mid-August. They now return to league action after a two-week hiatus without competitive matches.

It remains to be seen whether their break will enhance or hinder their performance as they strive to end a daunting 50-year winless record against the Eredivisie giants this weekend.

Telstar heads into Sunday’s fixture having lost eight consecutive matches to De Joden, with their last win against them dating back to April 1974, indicating a wait of 52 years over 13 encounters in all competitions.

Team News

Gerald Alders has been absent for Telstar since the opening weekend of the season, and the young defender is not expected to feature against his parent club.

AZ Alkmaar loanee Abdelnour Soualhia has made an impressive start in North Holland, contributing one goal and one assist from a central defensive position, although concerns about the longevity of his strong performance are valid.

Ajax, on the other hand, appears to be injury-free, with Tolu Arokodare being the team’s standout forward after scoring twice against Sion, in addition to a goal and an assist in their previous match against the Swiss side.

As a result, the on-loan attacker is likely to be favored for a start over either Marcos Leonardo or Kasper Dolberg, bolstered by Abdellah Ouazane—who found the net twice against Sion on Thursday—and Steven Berghuis on the flanks.

However, The Jews might be missing the doubtful Daley Blind, while Rayane Bounida, Amourricho van Axel Dongen (thigh), and Viktor Tsygankov are most likely sidelined for Sunday’s match.

Telstar probable starting XI:

Koeman Jr; Caschili, Soualhia, Peersman, Hardeveld; Rossen, Owusu; Mendes, Brouwer, Hetli; Seedorf

Ajax probable starting XI:

Ter Stegen; Rosa, Bouman, Baas, Henrique; Klaassen, Reger, Brandt; Berghuis, Arokodare, Ouazane

While Telstar is well-rested and eager to pull off an upset at home, their lengthy winless streak against Ajax places them as serious underdogs against the Eredivisie powerhouses.

With Arokodare and Ouazane performing exceptionally after their midweek European exploits, Michel’s high-scoring squad possesses an abundance of attacking finesse that may prove too challenging for the White Lions to contend with.