AJAX are on the road to recovery after a traumatic start to the season and the UEFA Europa Conference League gives them to chance to find a silver lining amidst the clouds as they prepare to face Bodo/Glimt in the last 32.
A nightmare run of 11 games without a victory from the end of August sent the Dutch giants into turmoil with gaffer Maurice Steijn unsurprisingly binned during that alarming slump.
Successor John van ‘t Schip steadied the ship in the Eredivisie but couldn't salvage their Europa League campaign and Ajax dropped down to the Conference after finishing behind Brighton and Marseille.
The response since losing 4-3 loss to Marseille in France, a game that saw our man Gabriel clean up, has been impressive. Ajax won seven of their next 10 games to roar back into life and boosted their squad with the surprise signing of former Liverpool skipper Jordan Henderson.
The revival ground to a halt at the weekend with a 3-2 loss in Heerenveen and Ajax will now be looking to bounce back against a Bodo/Glimt side who have could be a bit rusty thanks to the winter break in Norway.
Kjetil Knutsen's men haven't played competitively since ending their Europa Conference League group campaign by losing 3-1 to Club Brugge, a defeat that saw them finish second behind the Belgians.
It's now almost two months since Bodo/Glimt were last in action for a meaningful game so returning to action in Amsterdam is a tough gig for their match back. But Knutsen has previous for causing a shock in Europe, with Roma and Celtic among the scalps his side have claimed.
How the bookies view it
It's no surprise to see Ajax as heavy favourites and their best price is just 8/15 with Bet365. Bodo/Glimt are as big as 19/4 at Coral while the draw pays 19/5 with BetUK.
Head to head
These sides have never faced off before but Ajax have a terrible record against Norwegian clubs. In 12 matches against the likes of Fredrikstad, Molde, Rosenborg and Start, the Dutch giants have claimed just three victories.
Players to watch
Brian Brobbey has been scoring prolifically for Ajax despite their disappointing campaign and has 16 goals to his name already. The striker is 6/4 with Bet365 for anytime scorer and that looks decent value.
Bodo-Glimt are reeling from the loss of Amahl Pellegrino, with the 32-goal striker joining MLS side San Jose Earthquakes earlier this month. Faris Moumbagna has also left for Marseille so Knutsen has been forced to bring in new faces up front. Winger Tobias Gulliksen has arrived from Stomsgodset and is 24/5 at Unibet for a goal.
Anything else catch the eye?
Ajax have been a great watch of late, with BTTS landing in their last 11 games and over 3.5 goals coming up in six of their last seven outings. Whether this game turns out to be another thriller very much depends on what shape Bodo/Glimt are in after their long lay-off. The best option looks to be combining an Ajax win with over 2.5 goals at 21/20 with BoyleSports.
I'm expecting Ajax to make a fast start as they bid to stamp their authority so I'm backing the Dutch side to be winning at half-time and full time, which pays 13/10 with Bet365.
Corners are another market worth exploring and Ajax -2 in that handicap looks decent value at 20/21 with BoyleSports given they should be on the front foot for most of the match.
This UEFA Europa League Conference match between Ajax and Bodo/Glimt will be played on Feb 15, 2024 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Ajax vs Bodo/Glimt prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
