Written by :
Published on :
For either Tottenham Hotspur or Ajax, a spot in the Champions League finals is just 90 minutes away. After winning the first leg in London 1-0, Ajax is favored at +104 to win the second leg at home on Wednesday. Tottenham, in need of a win, has a money line of +211 while a draw is set at +270.
Meanwhile, Tottenham is limping heading into Wednesday’s second leg. The North Londoners have lost their last three matches in all competitions, all by a 1-0 margin, meaning they haven’t scored in over 270 minutes. That’s not necessarily a good sign for a team that will likely have to score at least twice against Ajax in order to advance.
The Son Rises
The good news for Tottenham is that Son Heung-Min will play Wednesday after missing the first leg due to a yellow card suspension. Oddly enough, Son received a red card against Bournemouth over the weekend, but that won’t prevent him from facing Ajax. With Harry Kane missing due to injury, Son is Tottenham’s most important offensive player and he was sorely missed in the first leg. Son had two outstanding goals in the second leg against Manchester City in the previous round, and he will look to do the same against Ajax.
With Son back in the mix, Spurs have a little more flexibility in terms of lineup and formations. The English side will have the option of playing Son and Lucas Moura together up top, giving Ajax plenty of speed and skill to keep contained. Spurs could then save Fernando Llorente for the second half of the game in case they get desperate and need to play more direct. With Son missing the first leg, Tottenham didn’t have that kind of flexibility, so they will be a little closer to full strength this time around.
Changing Tactics
It’s not often that the team that won the first leg 1-0 will have to make tactical changes in the second leg, but that could be the case with Ajax. After getting the early goal, Ajax spent plenty of time defending and conceding possession to Spurs for the final 60 minutes of the match. To be fair, they had their chances on the counter, but they were also close to giving up an equalizer.
Ajax will surely have their commitment to defense tested in the second leg with Spurs chasing the match. They’ve typically been the aggressors this season, particularly in the Dutch Eredivisie. They did a nice job of protecting their lead for 75 minutes in the first leg, but they’ll face 90 more minutes of the same on Wednesday.
Team of Destiny?
This young Ajax is about to get its toughest test of the season when they try to protect a lead in a Champions League semi-final. However, they’ve passed every other test thus far and this one will be no different. A draw will be enough to see them through, so bet on a tie between Ajax and Tottenham on Wednesday. If you need a great pay per head place to wager on this match, and all the other matches this month, and season, make sure you check out A1PPH.
