Dutch EreDivision
2008-09-14 - Ajax Amsterdam vs Roda JC Kerkrade
A Sports Betting Pick by Erik
Netherlands Eredivisie
Sunday 14th September 2008 - KO 14:30 local
Ajax Amsterdam
Ajax made a false start in their first game of the season dropping three points on the road to Willem II after having a 1-0 lead at halftime.
The visitors had a decent start of the game but failed to create any big chances until Sulejmani opened the score after twenty minutes of play.
A few minutes before Willem II goalkeeper Aerts had to stretch to a maximum and three minutes from halftime Suarez should have doubled the lead for the visitors but the striker fired the ball just wide of the goal.
In the second half it all went wrong for Ajax with the team conceding the equalizer ten minutes after halftime and things got even worse with Willem II taking the lead ten minutes later and midfielder Sno being sent off in the final minutes of the game after supposedly having elbowed down his opponent.
Roda JC Kerkrade
Roda JC also knew a very tough start of the competition with the team drawing 1-1 at home to FC Twente.
Both teams played a very sloppy first half in which only a few chances were created with both FC Twente and Roda JC keeping the field very small resulting in a tactical play on the midfield but both teams lost the ball very easy and very often.
In the second half it were the vistors taking the lead ten minutes after halftime with Elia netting the ball behind Castro but six minutes from time Roda JC striker Oper leveled the score after a huge error from FC Twente defender Douglas.
Previous meetings
10/02/2008 Roda JC - Ajax 2-1
04/11/2007 Ajax - Roda JC 4-2
27/12/2006 Ajax - Roda JC 2-0
17/09/2006 Roda JC - Ajax 2-0
02/04/2006 Roda JC - Ajax 2-1
24/09/2005 Ajax - Roda JC 4-1
27/02/2005 Roda JC - Ajax 1-2
25/04/2005 Ajax - Roda JC 1-0
14/03/2004 Ajax - Roda JC 4-2
Since 1990 Ajax and Roda JC have met each other 18 times in Amsterdam in the competition of which Ajax managed to win 15 times. Only once Roda JC grabbed a win which was back in the season 1999/2000 and twice both teams drew their game.
Injuries/suspensions
Ajax : Gabri (mid) (ankle injury), Jan-Arie van der Heijden (mid) (physical condition), Mitchell Donald (def) (knee injury), Robbert Schilder (def) (injury), Ismael Aissati (mid) (knee injury)
Roda JC : Anouar Hadouir (att) (knee injury), Cliff Mardulier (gk) (shoulder injury)
THe Verdict
The expectations are high in Amsterdam with Ajax signing 30 million worth of new players with Cvitanich, Sulejmani, Oleguer and Sno being added to the selection during the summer.
With Ajax refusing a last-minute 40 million euro offer on Huntelaar some rest seems to have settled in the team with Huntelaar announcing to stay another season setting his aim on scoring 35 goals.
However, the performance against Willem II was far from great last weekend, but with Van Basten playing at home he is expected to field a more attacking midfield Sno possibly taking place on the bench. However, the injury of Aissati will not be very good news for the team with De Jong expected to be given a place in the staring eleven on Sunday.
Roda JC traditionally has a tough time in Amsterdam with the team picking up only one win in their last eighteen meetings on the road to Ajax and based on the way they played against FC Twente, a second win will be very hard to achieve against a highly motivated home side.
With PSV already being three points ahead on Ajax, the team can not afford another slip up in order for the gap to the current leaders to increase to six points.
With Ajax simply having too much firepower I can not see the team slipping up two times in a row and a home win is expected on Sunday.
BEST BETTING TIP :
Take AJAX AMSTERDAM to win
