Aston Villa vs Ajax Prediction 14.03.2024

• Competition: UEFA Europa Conference League
• Date: Thursday, 14th, March 2024
• Kickoff: 20:00 UK / 21:00 CET
• Venue: Villa Park (Birmingham)

Aston Villa is set to welcome the struggling Dutch powerhouse Ajax to Villa Park for the second leg of their last-16 tie on Thursday night, with a ticket to the Europa Conference League quarter-finals within grasp.

Aston Villa vs Ajax Betting Tips: Aston Villa to Win

Last week’s first-leg encounter in UEFA’s third-tier competition between Aston Villa and Ajax was one of the least exciting. The match, held at the Johan Cruijff Arena in Amsterdam, was likened to a “concert” without a melody, ending in a goalless draw. This result leaves Aston Villa, the English representative, to complete the task in front of their own fans.

Before the critical 90-minute Conference League rematch, Aston Villa provoked anxiety and unease among their “twelfth man” during the weekend's games. They endured a disgraceful 0-4 loss to an aggressive Tottenham, marking their fourth defeat in their last five home games. This defeat also resulted in a wave of humiliation for the Villans.

Villa Park may not be the invincible stronghold it was up until the end of January, having only one loss in 15 home games before that, but Unai Emery, a specialist in European trophies, remains optimistic. Despite Saturday’s disaster, he believes his team will bounce back quickly, bringing joy to the dedicated fans. After all, they’ve won all their home games in the European challenges this season.

Just like their Thursday’s hosts but not as painful, the giants from Amsterdam also experienced a disappointing result in their weekend Eredivisie game. Despite securing an early advantage, they had to put in every ounce of effort to scrape a messy point in a 2-2 draw against Fortuna Sittard, a mid-table team.

Ajax, once a team that struck fear into the hearts of Europe’s elite, is no longer a ghost of its former self. The 2-0 routine victory over Utrecht in early March stands out as a lone highlight in a streak of nine competitive matches marked by lackluster performance, excluding their dramatic extra-time win against Bodo/Glimt.

What’s even more alarming for the Dutch outfit is their tendency to leak goals in abundance on their away trips, conceding two or more in 11 out of their last 13 such outings, not to mention their last four visits to the Isles culminating in disappointing fashion, including a dismal 0-2 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion back in October. Considering all the difficulties the visiting side is going through, Aston Villa should live up to their favorite status and seal the deal for advancing to the Conference League quarter-finals.