Europa League Quali, 3rd round, second leg, Thursday, 15.08.2024 at 20:15
The dead live longer, as they say, and so the Dutch side, underestimated on the betting markets, were able to make the long journey back to Amsterdam from the Peloponnese with a win in their luggage thanks to a lot of hard work.
In my Ajax Amsterdam Panathinaikos Athens prediction, I analyze together with you the chances of the “sons of God” to successfully defend their lead from the first leg. You’ll also receive a promising betting tip for free!
Last week, Steffen had the honor of providing you with an (almost) correct Ajax Amsterdam Panathinaikos Athens tip.
I think every soccer expert with a penchant for sports betting recognized straight away that the bookmakers had completely misjudged the situation.
The Dutch were given average underdog odds of 3.05, which in my opinion simply does not do justice to the actual strength of this legendary club – even in the current difficult situation.
Of course, Amsterdam wrote a pitch-black chapter in their club history last season. The never-ending sporting downturn even seemed to lead them directly into the 2nd division at times.
However, the damage was at least limited in the second half of the season, and they finally managed to qualify for an international club competition, even if it won’t be the Champions League this year.
Furthermore, it is no secret that the club’s best players have since left. Nevertheless, the quality of the squad is still high enough to at least not be treated as underdogs in a match against Panathinaikos
Realistically, Ajax can be expected to finish third to fourth in the Eredivisie this season.
Speaking of which, the new edition of Holland’s top league competition began for the “sons of God” last weekend with a 1:0 home win over Heerenveen.
Coach Francesco Farioli cannot be accused of being unsuccessful at the start of the new season. The pre-season preparations have already been promising, with four friendly matches won, including a victory against a Greek club.
Olympiakos were defeated 1-0 in mid-July, but I won’t attach too much importance to this aspect, as friendly matches are always friendly matches
By the way, Panathinaikos gave Bulgarian first-division side Botev Plovdiv a good showing in the previous round.
A 2-1 first-leg win was followed by a convincing 4-0 win in the Balkans, which shows just how strong Alexander Jeremejeff’s team can be as a strike force in optimal circumstances.
Nevertheless, I remain of the opinion that the Dutch, despite the many departures, can hardly be dissuaded from their chosen path to the play-off phase of the Europa League at home.
Both clubs are no strangers to each other. After all, the first time they met was way back in 1970.
While only the more recent encounters, such as those from the 2016/17 season, are of particular interest to me, the overall record from joint European Cup battles against Ajax is decidedly poor for Panathinaikos fans: 1 win, 6 defeats.
After carefully scrolling up and down the Bet365 app and thinking about the possible course of the game, I have decided to take up the recommendation of my betting friend Steffen from the previous week.
My Ajax Amsterdam Panathinaikos Athens betting tip is basically a mirror image of his, as the Dutch play at home in the second leg this time: Double chance 1X & Over 1.5 goals.
Ajax are still strong enough to go far internationally with Henderson and Taylor in midfield. The club also has a wealth of experience from many European Cup battles.
Just last year, Ajax faced AEK Athens, another top Greek club who were the reigning Super League winners at the time.
In the group stage of the 2023/24 Europa League, Amsterdam won the home game at the Johan Cruijff Arena 3-1 after a 1-1 draw in the Hellenic capital
Conclusion: Ajax were underestimated in the first leg! With an experienced conductor like Henderson in midfield and several talented key players, the team even has the potential to play a significant role in the Europa League.
Panathinaikos, meanwhile, will probably be more aggressive than they were a week ago in the Peloponnese. The Greek team will have to try hard to make up the deficit and turn the game in their favor.
Nevertheless, I believe that Amsterdam will ultimately show their class and somehow manage to swing the game home. The combination of experience and talent should even enable the Dutch to win.
My Ajax Amsterdam Panathinaikos Athens: Double chance 1X & Over 1.5 goals
