Ajax have confirmed their starting lineup for Saturday’s VriendenLoterij Eredivisie clash against NEC Nijmegen, with Sofyan Amrabat making his second consecutive start in midfield. The match, which kicks off at 21:00 CEST in Amsterdam, is vital for Ajax’s ambitions to stay in contention with the league’s top sides.
Ajax Team News and Confirmed Line-up
Coach Míchel Sánchez has had to contend with several injury problems, leading to a reshuffled squad for the home fixture. As confirmed by LiveScore, the Ajax starting XI sees Marc ter Stegen in goal. The defence will feature Lucas Rosa at right-back, Owen Wijndal at left-back, and a central pairing of Thilo Kehrer and Youri Baas.
In midfield, Jorthy Mokio, Sofyan Amrabat, and Julian Brandt will start, with experienced midfielder Davy Klaassen notably beginning the match on the bench. Up front, Viktor Tsygankov will operate from the right, Oscar Gloukh from the left, and Tolu Arokodare will lead the line.
Key players unavailable due to injury include Anton Gaaei, Caio Henrique, Daley Blind, Steven Berghuis, and Kasper Dolberg. According to Sports Mole, Dolberg’s absence is particularly significant, as the 29-year-old forward suffered a serious knee injury during Denmark training and is all but ruled out for the rest of the season. He had been in good form, scoring two goals and providing three assists in his previous three Eredivisie appearances.
Simon Adingra and Yves Bissouma could potentially make their debuts, as coach Sánchez indicated at a press conference. Aaron Bouwman is also fit again after recovering from an injury.
Recent Form and Head-to-Head
Ajax return to Eredivisie action looking to overcome a two-year winless streak against NEC Nijmegen. Before the international break, Míchel Sánchez’s side were held to a 2-2 draw by SBV Excelsior, a frustrating result where they attempted 33 shots to the visitors’ four but conceded from two of Excelsior’s efforts. The team’s “continued failure to keep clean sheets has come back to bite them”, as noted by Sports Mole.
Since a 2-1 victory in December 2024, Ajax have endured a 3-0 defeat and a 1-1 draw in their subsequent meetings with NEC. This three-match winless run against the Nijmegen outfit is their longest such sequence since December 2006 to January 2008. Despite this recent dip, Ajax have historically dominated the fixture, losing only once to NEC in 32 meetings.
NEC Nijmegen enter the match after an underwhelming start to their 2026-27 campaign, currently sitting 11th in the Eredivisie. Their recent results include a 1-1 draw with Go Ahead Eagles, a 5-0 defeat to Juventus in the Europa League, and a 3-0 loss to promoted Cambuur. NEC are also grappling with a host of injury problems, including Gonzalo Crettaz, Deveron Fonville, Ahmetcan Kaplan, Bryan Nuytinck, and Emre Mor, who are all ruled out. Their tactical approach has seen them concede almost as many goals as they have scored this season.
Match Significance and Conference League Preparations
For Ajax, securing a win against NEC Nijmegen is essential not only to narrow the gap with the Eredivisie’s top clubs but also as a crucial “dress rehearsal” ahead of their Conference League encounter with Hajduk Split on Thursday. The team will be aiming to convert their chances more effectively, as Sports Mole suggests their persistent defensive vulnerability means another clean sheet is unlikely, but their robust chance creation indicates scoring should not be an issue.
The combination of NEC’s poor form and extensive injury list could prove decisive, with Sports Mole predicting Ajax to end their three-match winless run in this fixture.
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