It's time for cup football and it's the Champions League Group Stage between Ajax and Valencia. Here's the biggest preview available before kick-off:
There’s little time for restitution or working hard at the training pitch these days, with both teams having played their last game less than four days ago.
Valencia have a very long trip to this away game, as there's more than 1800 kilometers in distance to cover. This could prove a challenge, at least for the supporters.
Ajax form and stats
Last season their Champions League adventure ended in the semi-finals.7-0-1 is the performance here at Johan Cruijff Arena so far in the Eredivisie, giving Ajax a total of 21 from their 8 games here. Outstanding results!
The Ajax crowd went home unhappy last time out, seeing their beloved players lose 0-2 to Willem II here at Johan Cruijff Arena in a Eredivisie match. A strong away win before that one, visiting FC Twente and winning 5-2.
The hosts are favourites to win this game, with an estimated chance of about 55-60% of that outcome. Earlier Ajax matches with similar probabilities have ended with 1 win, 0 draws and 0 defeats (from one game).
Ajax always seem capable of creating a buzz here at Johan Cruijff Arena with 28 goals in 8 league games. Defensively Ajax have been outstanding, conceding less than half a goal on average per home game in the league (4 in 8 games). For more goal stats, check the Statistics tab above.
Valencia form and stats
Valencia's mission in Champions League last season failed in the group stage.As the visiting team in La Liga matches, Valencia have produced an overall stat of 3-1-4 so far.
Two travels in a row for Valencia, whose manager Celades could celebrate last time after the La Liga win against Levante. Before that, Valencia secured a home win against Villarreal with the score 2-1.
What a finish in the last match, as Valencia came back from being down 0-2 and secured all three points through F. Torres in the 88th minute.
Looking at the earlier recent performances of Valencia when being an outsider away as they are today, we find two matches with the visitors losing 0 times, drawing 0 and winning 2 games.
Valencia has displayed an ability to score goals in away matches in the league this season, 12 goals from 8 games. In the opposite end, Valencia have conceded 15 goals in their away games.
Head 2 Head
The two sides played each other earlier this season: Valencia - Ajax 0-3.Top Goalscorers
  Q. Promes 10 goals |  K. Huntelaar 8 goals |  D. Tadić 7 goals |
Ajax missing players
Valencia missing players
| Ajax | Valencia | ||||||
| Total | Home | Statistics | Stat | Away | Total | ||
| 25 | 12 | Played | P | 13 | 25 | ||
| 18 | 10 | Won | W | 7 | 12 | ||
| 5 | 0 | Drew | D | 2 | 8 | ||
| 2 | 2 | Lost | L | 4 | 5 | ||
| 71 | 36 | Scored | S | 20 | 41 | ||
| 23 | 7 | Conceded | C | 18 | 33 | ||
| 96% | 100% | Over 0.5 | O 0.5 | 100% | 100% | ||
| 92% | 92% | Over 1.5 | O 1.5 | 77% | 88% | ||
| 68% | 67% | Over 2.5 | O 2.5 | 54% | 52% | ||
| 56% | 58% | Over 3.5 | O 3.5 | 23% | 24% | ||
| 40% | 42% | Over 4.5 | O 4.5 | 15% | 16% | ||
| 48% | 25% | BTTS | BTTS | 69% | 72% | ||
| 44% | 58% | Clean Sheets | C S | 23% | 20% | ||
| 12% | 17% | Failed to Score | F T | 8% | 8% | ||
| 7.1 | 7.8 | Corners For (avg) | C F | 3.8 | 4.4 | ||
| 3.2 | 3.2 | Corners Against (avg) | C A | 5.9 | 5 | ||
| 1.8 | 1 | Yellow Cards (avg) | Y C | 2.2 | 2.2 | ||
| 3 | 0 | Red Cards | R C | 3 | 4 | ||
| 496 | 276 | Total Shots | T S | 116 | 255 | ||
| 193 | 112 | Shots on Target | S O | 48 | 102 | ||
| 37% | 32% | Goal Efficiency | G E | 42% | 40% | ||
| Total | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||||
| # | Team | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | P |
| 1 | Ajax | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 4 | 7 | 10 |
| 2 | Chelsea | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 8 |
| 3 | Valencia | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| 4 | Lille | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 7 | -9 | 1 |
| Total | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||||
| # | Team | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | P |
| 1 | Ajax | 16 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 52 | 14 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 28 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 24 | 10 | 38 | 41 |
| 2 | AZ | 16 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 38 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 20 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 18 | 3 | 30 | 38 |
| 3 | PSV | 16 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 37 | 19 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 23 | 9 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 14 | 10 | 18 | 31 |
| 4 | Willem II | 16 | 9 | 2 | 5 | 25 | 21 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 14 | 4 | 29 |
| 5 | Heracles | 15 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 29 | 22 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 21 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 13 | 7 | 24 |
| 6 | SC Heerenveen | 15 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 24 | 18 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 14 | 11 | 6 | 24 |
| 7 | Feyenoord | 15 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 27 | 25 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 16 | 12 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 13 | 2 | 24 |
| 8 | FC Utrecht | 15 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 28 | 22 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 18 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 14 | 6 | 23 |
| 9 | Vitesse | 15 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 26 | 24 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 14 | 10 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 14 | 2 | 23 |
| 10 | FC Groningen | 15 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 18 | 16 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 6 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 2 | 21 |
| 11 | Sparta Rotterdam | 15 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 24 | 28 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 16 | 10 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 18 | -4 | 19 |
| 12 | FC Twente | 16 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 26 | 31 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 17 | 16 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 15 | -5 | 19 |
| 13 | FC Emmen | 16 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 18 | 32 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 14 | 10 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 22 | -14 | 15 |
| 14 | Fortuna Sittard | 16 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 20 | 40 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 15 | 10 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 30 | -20 | 15 |
| 15 | VVV-Venlo | 16 | 5 | 0 | 11 | 16 | 39 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 17 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 22 | -23 | 15 |
| 16 | PEC Zwolle | 16 | 4 | 1 | 11 | 22 | 37 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 17 | 20 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 5 | 17 | -15 | 13 |
| 17 | ADO Den Haag | 16 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 17 | 30 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 13 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 17 | -13 | 12 |
| 18 | RKC Waalwijk | 15 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 16 | 37 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 13 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 24 | -21 | 8 |
| Total | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||||
| # | Team | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | P |
| 1 | Barcelona | 15 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 41 | 18 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 9 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 9 | 23 | 34 |
| 2 | Real Madrid | 15 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 32 | 11 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 5 | 21 | 34 |
| 3 | Sevilla | 15 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 19 | 14 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 9 | 5 | 30 |
| 4 | Real Sociedad | 15 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 26 | 18 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 15 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 26 |
| 5 | Athletic Club | 15 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 17 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 26 |
| 6 | Atletico Madrid | 16 | 6 | 8 | 2 | 16 | 10 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 26 |
| 7 | Valencia | 16 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 26 | 23 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 14 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 15 | 3 | 26 |
| 8 | Getafe | 15 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 23 | 16 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 15 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 24 |
| 9 | Granada | 16 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 23 | 20 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 13 | 16 | 3 | 24 |
| 10 | Osasuna | 15 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 21 | 17 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 22 |
| 11 | Levante | 16 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 20 | 25 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 9 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 8 | 16 | -5 | 20 |
| 12 | Villarreal | 16 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 28 | 24 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 18 | 11 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 10 | 13 | 4 | 19 |
| 13 | Real Betis | 15 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 19 | 25 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 15 | -6 | 19 |
| 14 | Real Valladolid | 15 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 14 | 18 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 15 | -4 | 18 |
| 15 | Deportivo Alaves | 16 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 17 | 23 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 19 | -6 | 18 |
| 16 | Eibar | 15 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 15 | 27 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 14 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 13 | -12 | 15 |
| 17 | Mallorca | 16 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 16 | 28 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 5 | 19 | -12 | 14 |
| 18 | Celta de Vigo | 15 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 10 | 20 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 12 | -10 | 13 |
| 19 | Espanyol | 16 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 10 | 30 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 18 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 12 | -20 | 9 |
| 20 | Leganes | 15 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 8 | 25 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 12 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 13 | -17 | 6 |