Tottenham Hotspur are still alive in their Champions League semi-final tie with Ajax but the English side cannot afford any further setbacks.
Losing 1-0 on home soil was not ideal but it could have been a lot worse for Spurs after a dismal first half.
Mauricio Pochettino’s men were second best in almost every department in the opening 45 minutes but Ajax slacked off after the break.
Spurs, now 12/5 in Champions League betting odds to qualify, failed to take advantage though and scoring the first goal here is key. The 23/20 for Tottenham to score in the first half is worth considering.
Harry Kane is still injured but Heung-Min Son’s presence will give Spurs a boost. The South Korea star was sent off in Tottenham’s defeat at Bournemouth on Saturday but he tends to produce his best performances in Europe’s elite club competition.
Son will be relatively fresh for Tuesday’s clash after his early exit at the weekend and plenty of punters will be expecting the Spurs star to make a positive impact.
If Son plays like he did at the Etihad Stadium in the previous round, Tottenham have a chance of progression.
Ajax have lost just one of their previous 38 home games in all competitions – their sole loss to Real Madrid in the quarter-finals.
They have scored an incredible 66 goals in just 16 home league games this campaign and EVS for over 1.5 Ajax goals is a fantastic price.
With a few of these Ajax youngsters expected to leave this summer, European glory looks to be written in the stars.
The Dutch outfit have one foot in the final and that makes the 3/1 for Erik ten Hag’s men in 888sport’s Champions League winner odds very appealing indeed.
8/11 could turn out to be a huge price for over 2.5 goals inside 90 minutes – European matches can be cagey but the first game was easy on the eye for neutral supporters.
By the same token, the 4/7 for a goal in both halves should be snapped up. Ajax will create chances against this suspect Spurs back line and the Dutch outfit could reap rewards. At the other end, Tottenham are also capable of taking their chances in front of goal.
Ajax have been an absolute joy to watch in 2018/19 and it would be a real shame to see the Dutch side collapse at this late stage of the competition.
Those wins in Madrid and Turin will live long in the memory of football romantics in all four corners of the world.
The Champions League is the pinnacle of European football and Ajax have certainly been up there in terms of quality this campaign.
Their pedigree is of course legendary and the ‘total football’ philosophy remains central to their style of play.
Meanwhile, Spurs are dogged and determined but they lacked leadership in the first leg and that is a concern for Tottenham supporters.
The heart says Tottenham but the head says Ajax. Pochettino’s men cannot afford to start slowly or this tie will be done and dusted before half-time.
Given their form at the Johan Cruyff Arena this campaign, siding with the hosts to win at 23/20 makes sense.
TIP: Ajax to win (23/20 with 888sport)
LONGSHOT: Ajax to win and both teams to score (3/1 with 888sport)
PREDICTED SCORE: Ajax 2-1 Tottenham (15/2 with 888sport)
*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*
