It was a tough week for Dutch football, as both PSV and Ajax lost their first Champions League games. And now, the Dutch giants will clash in the first De Topper derby of the season.
While PSV have mostly been at their usual height in the Eredivisie, losing back-to-back games at home was unexpected and hadn’t happened since early March. A positive for the Peasants will be the fact they haven’t lost three in a row at home in decades, but Ajax are more than capable of inflicting this damage.
And PSV were completely outplayed on Tuesday when they faced Belgian champions Royale Union SG, losing 3-1. Ajax, in turn, fell victim to a flawless Inter Milan, losing 2-0 at home too. Unlike PSV, Ajax boast an unbeaten record in the Eredivisie after five rounds, but are yet to find their first success on the road after stalemates with G.A. Eagles and Volendam.
How the bookies view it: Strangely one-sided odds
For a derby, the odds are quite one-sided, with bookmakers siding with PSV to win the De Topper. You can back the hosts at 3/4 or Ajax at 7/2. The draw is also an option at 3/1.
Recent head-to-head: Ajax with a short-term advantage
This derby has always been difficult to predict as Ajax and PSV have rarely been out of shape for long periods of time. But it is a fact that the Peasants have had the upper hand in recent years, winning six of the last 10 H2Hs. However, the previous campaign saw Ajax win both meetings, although PSV won the title.
Players to watch: Perisic is timeless
At 36 years, Ivan Perisic remains a key figure in every team he plays in. He joined PSV last season and scored 16 goals with an additional nine assists across all competitions. His output since the start of the new campaign has been incredible too, as he already has a goal and four assists in five rounds. You can find some great odds for him to score or assist like Betano’s 1/1. He scored in the De Topper last season, when PSV lost 3-2.
Probable line-ups
PSV Eindhoven: Kovar, Dest, Flamingo, Obispo, Gasiorowski, Schouten, Saibari, Veerman, Perisic, Pepi, van Bommel
Ajax: Jaros, Gaaei, Itakura, Baas, Wijndal, Taylor, Regeer, Klaasen, Edvardsen, Werghorst, Godts
Anything else catch the eye?
One thing is almost always guaranteed in De Topper derbies – the goals. Seven of the last 10 H2Hs produced at least three goals, while eight saw goals from both sides. Last season’s edition of this fixture was a surprising 2-0, but the current state of the two teams suggests we should see a tight game with a good output.
PSV average 5.0 goals per match in the Eredivisie across the first five rounds with a 17:8 goal difference. Ajax have not won any of their last four away games in the league, conceding 2+ goals in 3/4. We expect Peter Bosz to tighten his men after back-to-back home defeats and PSV should be able to take advantage of Ajax’s defensive struggles on the road.
GambleAware