🏏 Sun, 10 May 2026 16:45 CEST
Ajax
vs
FC Utrecht
4-3-3 vs 4-2-3-1
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- A meeting of Ajax in 4th (55 points) and Utrecht in 7th (47 points). Both sides are 23 points off league leaders PSV Eindhoven and out of the title race, but Ajax remain in the fight for next season's Champions League spot against 2nd-placed Feyenoord (61 points) and 3rd-placed NEC Nijmegen (56 points). Utrecht are in a tight battle with 8th-placed AZ Alkmaar (46 points) as they seek a route into European competition.
- Utrecht beat Ajax 2-1 away in Matchday 12, so Ajax look for revenge at home this time. Ajax's home record this season is a surprisingly draw-heavy six wins, seven draws and two losses, with struggles evident even at the Amsterdam Arena. Utrecht, meanwhile, have been inconsistent with alternating results over their last five, and a win away will not come easy.
- Both sides' Japan international defenders are on the bench. Ajax's Takehiro Tomiyasu (No. 32) is a versatile defender who can play right-back, centre-back or holding midfield, a valuable addition since his move from Arsenal. Ko Itakura (No. 4) is the first Japanese player in Ajax's history, a centre-back who was a regular for three seasons at Borussia Monchengladbach. Both are expected to shore up the defence and control the game off the bench.
- Utrecht's star forward Sebastien Haller (No. 91) is a former Ajax striker facing his old club. A Cote d'Ivoire international, he achieved the feat of scoring in seven consecutive Champions League games during his Ajax days. His aerial play and hold-up play making use of his 190cm frame are his weapons, and he is a man of indomitable spirit who overcame testicular cancer to make his comeback. How he performs against his old club is a major point of interest.
- Utrecht's midfielder Dani de Wit (No. 20) is also an Ajax youth product, who joined Utrecht via AZ Alkmaar. A 184cm CAM, his runs into the box and finishing are his weapons, making this a grudge match with Ajax. Utrecht's veteran centre-back van der Hoorn (No. 3) is also a former Ajax player, marshalling the Utrecht defence with his 190cm height and left-footed build-up.
- A clash of differing systems with Ajax in 4-3-3 and Utrecht in 4-2-3-1. The numerical difference in midfield is key, and the point is how Ajax's three central players break down Utrecht's two holding midfielders. In particular, the battle between Ajax's Oscar Gloukh (No. 10) and Yuri Regeer (No. 6) driving forward, against the defensive intensity of Utrecht's Zivai Zechiel (No. 21) and Alonzo Engwanda (No. 27), is the focal point.