One of the standout fixtures on Matchday Six of the Champions League comes from the Johan Cruyff Arena on Wednesday evening.
Ajax vs Atalanta (Wednesday, 17:55)
A must-win match for Ajax takes place on Wednesday evening when they welcome Atalanta to Amsterdam in Matchday Six of the Champions League.
Erik ten Hag's troops have to take maximum points from their final Group D fixture to secure a place in the knockout stages, while Atalanta only need a point to seal their passage to the last-16.
The Italians have gained a reputation as one of the most exciting sides on the continent and Gian Piero Gasperini's side won many of those admirers when surging to the quarter-final stage of the Champions League last season.
Ajax, meanwhile, went all the way to the last-four of Europe's elite club competition two years ago, but only of these forward-thinking outfits will be dining at Europe's top table come February.
Goals have been a regular feature in matches involving these two sides in recent seasons and I see no reason to oppose that trend at the Johan Cruyff Arena this midweek.
There is little value in backing BTTS or over 2.5 match goals at a general 2/5, so instead I'll head to the Bet Builder market and combine both teams to score, each team to collect over zero cards and over six match corners, a 4/5 shot with Bet 465.
The Dutch heavyweights have conceded in all five of their group games so far, one of which was a breathless 2-2 draw with Atalanta in Bergamo on Matchday 2.
What's more, the Amsterdammers suffered a shock defeat to Twente at the weekend and that does not bode well ahead of a bout with an Atalanta side that lit up Serie A last season when slamming in 98 goals across 38 outings – an eye-watering average of just over 2.5 goals per-game.
However, the Bergamo boys fluid and free-flowing football can often lead to them being exposed on the counter-attack, and with that in mind, coupled with what's at stake here, I'm happy to back both teams to collect at least one card as well as over six corners collectively.
It's also worth noting that the above-mentioned Bet Builder landed in the reverse fixture and I fancy the same combination to click again in the Dutch capital on Wednesday evening.
Recommended Bet
- Both Teams To Score, Ajax Over 0 Cards, Atalanta Over 0 Cards & Over 6 Match Corners – Bet Builder – 4/5 (Bet 365)
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