Champions League Semis: Giant Killers Ajax Take On A Hobbled Spurs

Admit it, you don’t know much about Ajax. With the bulk of the attention paid to the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A, (OK, OK, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, and Liga MX, we love you too) not many American fans of the game keep their eyes on the Dutch League. Here’s some things you should know:

• Ajax is not only tied at the top of the table, but is also in the Dutch Cup final. 
• Two of Ajax’s top players, 21-year-old mid-fielder Frenkie De Jong and defender Matthijs de Ligt, both seemed destined for Barcelona this summer after star-making turns for the Dutch side this season. 
• Ajax love that everyone underestimates them, and play free, fearless soccer in the face of bigger, more celebrated clubs. Just ask Juventus, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich.
• Fun Fact: the fee that Juventus paid for vanquished foe Ronaldo is $22.5 million more than Ajax’s annual revenue.

As for Tottenham, the facts to know are a little less fun.

• Harry Kane is set to miss both legs of the semis, joining fellow injured Spurs Harry Winks, Erik Lamela and Serge Aurier on the sideline, while Heung-min Son is suspended. 
• They look tired, and their offense looks lost, with only one goal in their last three games, including a 1-0 loss at home to West Ham and a close 1-0 victory that shouldn’t have been close against bottom feeders Brighton and Hove Albion.
• Unlike Ajax, who were given the weekend off by the nice folks in the Dutch League in order to prepare, Spurs have only had three days off since the loss to West Ham.
• The good news for the side from North London? Moussa Sissoko returns from a three game absence, and Jan Vertonghen looks fit to return after sitting out Saturday’s loss to West Ham. 
• Vertonghen, Toby Alderweireld, and Christian Eriksen have collectively spent nearly 30 years in the senior and junior levels of the Ajax system, so they have a unique insight on how their opponents approach a match.

With all that known, what should you look for when placing a wager on either Tuesday’s match, the entire series, or individual players performances? Here’s a breakdown of a few of the more popular bets and how each team might effect them. (NOTE: There are 147 DIFFERENT bets you can make on this matchup, so take a look at all the available possibilities and find the ones that you like best.)

• Total Goals: Bookmakers think this will be a fairly low-scoring match-up, with Kane out and Tottenham employing their usual tight backline. All this despite an Ajax team that take any shot that comes their way and that’s usually a lot of them. The question is will the energy that saw them punish Juve and Real Madrid with a relentless attack be sustainable now that they’re more of a known quantity? Taking the over on goals might not be a bad bet.
• Double Chance: If you’re not the type who likes to commit to an outright win in a game that has a tie as a possible outcome, there’s a bet called the Double Chance. With Double Chance, a single price is offered on a win ordraw. If you backed Ajax in a Double Chance, and they win or draw, the bet wins; if the team loses, so does the bet. The payout is less, but the chances of winning is greater.
• Goal Scorer: The absence of Harry Kane opens the door for the amazing Christian Eriksen, who may or may not be leaving after this season. Let’s just say a few goals in a Champions League semifinal would go a long way in upping any future salary. As for Ajax, there’s a handful to watch: Dusan Tadic has been prolific this year in the Dutch League, with 23 goals in 31 matches, while Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Frenkie De Jong, Matthijs de Ligtand Hakin Ziyech all have been brilliant in Champions League play. Any one of them could step forward and be the one who leads Ajax into the final.
• Of the other bets you can make, here are some fun ones: cards given, penalty kicks, own goals, goals scored in stoppage time and six different wagers just on corner kicks alone.

However it ends up, it’ll be a great matchup of Cinderellas, so make your bets and enjoy the match.