Heracles v Ajax preview: Visitors can prove cut above

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Competition: Netherlands Eredivisie
Competition: Sun 23.February
Match begins: 15:45 (UTC)
Venue: Stadion der Stadt Linz (8500 seats)

Heracles will hope to utilise their home advantage to help bridge the gap to today's opponents. The home side are currently 24 points behind Ajax.

Both teams should be fairly well rested for this game, as they have had some quiet days to prepare. Hopefully this will translate into lots of action on the pitch.

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Heracles form and stats

Heracles have played 11 Eredivisie games at their own stadium so far this season, resulting in 6-1-4 (wins-draws-losses).

Heracles faced defeat in their previous match, away at VVV-Venlo (0-1). Ahead of that match, Heracles won a home game hosting Fortuna Sittard (2-0).

With an average of more than two goals per home game in the league (26 in 11 games), Heracles's attacking play is working. Heracles have conceded 15 in these home matches.

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Ajax form and stats

Ajax's travelling support has been rewarded for their time and money so far this season, having witnessed Ajax, who have the most scored goals (65) in Eredivisie, collect 20 points from their 10 away matches in the Eredivisie. 6 victories and 2 draws have created these points (and only 2 defeats). Ajax has lost their two previous away games and are eager to kill a negative trend in its infancy.

Did you know that the longest clean sheet streak is 1816 minutes? This record is held by Mazaropi when he played in Vasco da Gama. Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana is eager to challenge this, with his 218 minutes of keeping balls out from the net.

Lassina Traore, Dušan Tadić and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar scored in Ajax's previous match, the home game against RKC Waalwijk that ended 3-0. Ahead of that match was the victory versus Vitesse at their stadium, the result 3-0.

Ajax are a potent attacking force on the road with their 25 goals in 10 league games. 13 goals have been conceded by Ajax in these games.

Head 2 Head

The most recent history between these sides is the Ajax - Heracles 4-1 played earlier this season. H2H stats regardless of arena (last ten matches): Heracles two wins, two draws and Ajax six victories. As for goals, three matches ended with three or more goals (over 2,5), seven games had two or less.

Top Goalscorers

HeraclesC. Dessers
C. Dessers
14 goals
AjaxQ. Promes
Q. Promes
11 goals
AjaxK. Huntelaar
K. Huntelaar
9 goals

Heracles missing players

Ajax missing players

Heracles Ajax
Total Home vs top Statistics Stat vs mid Away Total
23 11 4 Played P 3 10 22
8 6 1 Won W 2 6 17
5 1 1 Drew D 0 2 2
10 4 2 Lost L 1 2 3
35 26 7 Scored S 10 25 65
32 15 7 Conceded C 5 13 19
96% 100% 100% Over 0.5 O 0.5 100% 100% 100%
83% 100% 100% Over 1.5 O 1.5 100% 90% 91%
43% 64% 50% Over 2.5 O 2.5 100% 70% 73%
39% 64% 50% Over 3.5 O 3.5 67% 50% 55%
22% 27% 50% Over 4.5 O 4.5 67% 40% 41%
48% 45% 75% BTTS BTTS 100% 80% 55%
22% 36% 0% Clean Sheets C S 0% 10% 36%
35% 18% 25% Failed to Score F T 0% 10% 9%
 
5.7 5.6 5.2 Corners for (avg) C F 5.7 7.1 7.5
4.4 3.4 5 Corners against (avg) C A 3 3.5 3.2
1.7 1.3 1.2 Yellow cards (avg) Y C 2.3 1.9 1.3
1 0 0 Red cards R C 0 0 0
 
284 172 61 Total Shots T S 46 176 489
101 65 20 Shots on Target S O 18 60 181
35% 40% 35% Goal Efficiency G E 56% 42% 36%
Key stats in Eredivisie this season:
  • Ajax has the fewest conceded goals in the first half (7)
  • Ajax has the most scored goals (25) away
  • Ajax has the most scored goals (65)
  • Ajax has the most scored goals in the first half (27)
  • Ajax has the most scored goals in the second half (38)
  • Ajax has the the best goal difference (+12) away
  • Ajax has the the best goal difference (+46)
  • Ajax have scored at least twice as many goals as they have conceded.
  • Ajax have won at least twice as many corners as they have conceded.
  • Ajax haven’t played a single 0-0 game.
  • All of Heracles's home-matches have had more than 1,5 goals.
  • Heracles have played more matches over 2,5 goals home than away.
  • Heracles haven’t played a single 0-0 game at home.

  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 22 17 2 3 65 19 12 11 0 1 40 6 10 6 2 2 25 13 46 53
2 AZ 22 15 2 5 46 17 11 8 1 2 26 8 11 7 1 3 20 9 29 47
3 Feyenoord 22 12 7 3 45 33 11 7 3 1 25 14 11 5 4 2 20 19 12 43
4 PSV 23 12 6 5 50 26 11 8 2 1 31 11 12 4 4 4 19 15 24 42
5 Willem II 23 12 5 6 32 27 12 6 4 2 14 8 11 6 1 4 18 19 5 41
6 Vitesse 23 11 5 7 40 29 11 6 3 2 22 13 12 5 2 5 18 16 11 38
7 FC Utrecht 22 10 5 7 42 30 10 6 0 4 23 10 12 4 5 3 19 20 12 35
8 FC Groningen 23 10 5 8 26 21 11 7 1 3 17 8 12 3 4 5 9 13 5 35
9 Heracles 23 8 5 10 35 32 11 6 1 4 26 15 12 2 4 6 9 17 3 29
10 SC Heerenveen 23 7 8 8 35 34 12 3 7 2 14 13 11 4 1 6 21 21 1 29
11 Sparta Rotterdam 23 7 6 10 34 39 12 6 3 3 25 15 11 1 3 7 9 24 -5 27
12 FC Twente 23 7 6 10 31 40 12 5 3 4 21 19 11 2 3 6 10 21 -9 27
13 FC Emmen 23 7 5 11 24 38 11 7 2 2 19 10 12 0 3 9 5 28 -14 26
14 Fortuna Sittard 23 6 6 11 27 49 12 6 3 3 21 16 11 0 3 8 6 33 -22 24
15 VVV-Venlo 23 7 3 13 23 48 12 5 2 5 14 21 11 2 1 8 9 27 -25 24
16 PEC Zwolle 23 6 4 13 32 49 11 4 2 5 24 27 12 2 2 8 8 22 -17 22
17 ADO Den Haag 23 4 5 14 23 48 12 2 5 5 11 17 11 2 0 9 12 31 -25 17
18 RKC Waalwijk 23 3 3 17 23 54 11 2 2 7 11 18 12 1 1 10 12 36 -31 12

Read more about Eredivisie

The Eredivisie is the highest level of professional football in the Netherlands. 18 teams play two fixtures against each other to form the final league table and decide which team wins the Dutch national championship. The phrase Eredivisie translates to “Honour Division”. The “big three” in Dutch football are Ajax, PSV and Feyenoord.