Ajax will host Galatasaray at the Johan Cruyff Arena on Matchday 8 of the Europa League. The hosts are looking to end a three-match losing streak against their unbeaten visitors.
Ajax vs Galatasaray best bets
- Galatasaray and the draw in double chance – 8/15 with Tote
- Victor Osimhen to score anytime – 1/1 with bet365
- Over 3.5 goals – 51/50 with SBK
Ajax vs Galatasaray odds
Find the latest match odds for Ajax vs Galatasaray. All odds are provided by our best football betting sites. Odds are subject to change.
Ajax vs Galatasaray predictions
Ajax sit 16th in the Europa League group table with ten points from seven matches.
The Dutch giants are two points above the elimination zone. But with eight teams between them and Porto in 25th position, it will take an incredible sequence of results for De Godenzonen not to make it to the playoffs.
The European campaign started off so well for Francesco Farioli’s team. After successfully coming through Europa League qualifying, Ajax started the group stage with three wins and one draw.
But since claiming ten points from their opening four matches, De Godenzonen has lost three matches in a row.
The rot started with a 2-0 defeat away to Real Sociedad on Matchday 5. That setback was followed by a 3-1 home defeat to Lazio on Matchday 6.
The real killer blow came on Matchday 7 when Ajax were defeated 1-0 by RFS (Rigas Futbola Skola) of the Latvian Higher League. The win was the minnow’s first of the competition.
Domestically, Ajax are sitting second in the Eredivisie on 45 points from 19 matches.
Farioli’s team are four points behind leaders PSV with a game in hand. This is a vast improvement from last season’s disastrous performance that saw Ajaz finish in 5th place, 35 points behind Eindhoven.
Despite being one of only three undefeated teams in the Europa League, Galatasaray sit ninth in the table just outside the automatic qualifying places for the Round of 16.
Okan Buruk’s team has 13 points from their seven matches.
Like Ajax, Galatasaray took ten points from their opening four matches. But three successive draws against AZ Alkmaar (1-1), Malmo (2-2) and Dynamo Kyiv (3-3) have seen them slip out of the top eight.
The dropped points against Malmo and Kyiv must have been especially hard for Okan Burak to take. Malmo has just one win and can’t qualify for the knock-out stages. While Kyiv sit bottom of the table with just one point from their seven matches.
Domestically, Galatasaray are flying. Cimbom are unbeaten and sit top of the Turkish Süper Lig with 54 points from 20 matches. They hold a commanding six point lead over second-placed Fenerbahçe.
Ajax vs Galatasaray betting tips
A point should be enough for Ajax to make it to the playoffs. But will Galatasaray get the win and bag a top-eight finish? Read on to find out what we say will happen in our Ajax vs Galatasaray betting tips:
Galatasaray and the draw in double chance
Galatasaray has lost just three times in 31 matches in all competitions this season.
Two of the defeats came against Young Boys in the 1st round of qualifying for the Champions League. The other was a 5-0 drubbing at the hands of Besiktas in the final of the 2024 Turkish Super Cup.
The one thing those three matches had in common is they were all played in August 2024.
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Since the last of those defeats, Cimbom are 26 matches unbeaten.
For their part, Ajax has only lost six times in 34 matches this season. But three of those defeats have come at this level.
A bet on Galatasaray to win at 6/4 is tempting. But Ajax has only lost once at home in all competitions this season. So covering the draw makes more sense.
Back Galatasaray and the draw in double chance at 8/15 with Tote
Victor Osimhen to score anytime
Victor Osimhen’s loan transfer from Napoli to Galatasaray raised a few eyebrows last summer.
After mooted transfers to Chelsea and Saudi Arabia fell through, the move to Galatasaray looked like a last act of desperation from the much travelled striker.
But rather than sulk about not getting his dream move away from Naples, the 26-year-old has thrived in his new environment.
Osimhen has scored 16 goals in 20 matches for his new club and has also provided five assists. He has been involved in more goals than he has played matches for Galatasaray.
The goals breakdown is 12 in 15 Süper Lig matches and four in five Europa League appearances.
Furthermore, Osimhen has been in even better form in recent weeks.
In his last three matches in competitions, he has scored three. And in his last six in all competitions, the Nigerian international has six goals and one assist.
Back Victor Osimhen to score anytime at evens with bet365
Over 3.5 goals
Galatasaray’s previous Europa League match was a six goal thriller against Dynamo Kyiv.
Cimbom haven’t failed to score in the Süper Lig all season. They have scored at least two goals in six of their seven Europa League matches, and are the highest scorers in the competition with 18 goals.
Galatasaray also need to win to give themselves a better chance of finishing in the top eight.
Ajax has scored 41 goals in 19 Eredivisie matches this season at just over two goals per game.
The Dutch team has also found the net twice in eight of their last nine league matches, including all of their most recent four. Ajax have also scored in five of their seven Europa League matches this season.
Expect goals in this one.
Back over 3.5 goals at just better than even money with SBK
How to watch Ajax vs Galatasaray
- Location: Johan Cruyff Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
- Date and time: Thursday 30th January, 8pm GMT.
- How to watch: TNT Sports 6.
Read more about the 2024/25 football season
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About the author
Dean Etheridge
Dean Etheridge is an experienced freelance sports betting writer who specialises in football. He predominantly covers the Premier League and Champions League but can turn his hand to all aspects of the beautiful game. You can follow Dean on LinkedIn (@deanetheridge)
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