Erling Haaland eager to return with goals in Champions League

All eyes will be on Johan Cruijff Arena when Ajax vs Borussia Dortmund will face each other in the most anticipated match of the group. Our sportsbook is offering a huge range of props for this derby match.

Ajax: Flying High

Ajax is one of the most exciting teams to watch in European soccer. They are leading the Eredivisie standings with 22 points earned in nine games, scoring 32 goals in conceding just two in the process.

They kicked off their Champions League campaign with a superb 5-1 win over Sporting in Portugal followed by a home 2-0 win against Besiktas. Sébastien Haller is leading UCL’s top scorers’ chart with five goals scored in just two games.

We are used to Ajax being a proper scoring machine in every single match they are playing and so far, they are offering us exactly what we want. Last season, they were very close to winning the Europa League, but they were stopped in the quarterfinals by AS Roma in a thrilling double-legged tie.

The latest soccer odds are giving them as favorites to win this home match with Dortmund, being priced at +120 on the moneyline.

Since taking over in 2017, Erik Ten Hag reached the UCL semis with Ajax having fantastic performances and intriguing tactics along the way and his players flying on all cylinders. The neutral fans love watching Ajax playing in the Champions League and they hope they will make it to the knockout stages.

Andre Onana is serving a nine-month ban that only ends next month while Maarten Stekelenburg is out with an injury, Ajax are forced to play their third goalkeeper, 37-year-old Remko Pasveer.

Haaland Fuels Dortmund

We talked many times about Erling Haaland’s qualities and how crucial he is for this team. Without him the Germans are not bad, but they don’t have the same energy and firepower in the attack. He’s clinical in front of the net, he is powerful, but his winning mentality is his most important weapon.

He won’t stop running and pressing his opponents till the last whistle of the game. He easily finds spaces and his pace is just out of this world. Rarely you will see such a tall player with such great speed and technique.

Without him in the starting XI, Dortmund lost to Gladbach followed by two short wins, one in Champions League at home against Sporting and one in the German Bundesliga against Augsburg. Once he came back from injury, he scored two goals in the 3-1 win against Mainz. He’s now fully fit and ready to strike again on Tuesday. Dortmund is the underdogs on Tuesday’s matchup according to the best soccer odds, being priced at +200.

Dortmund’s issue remains the defensive line. They are still missing many of their key players and everyone can find the back of the net against them. Soumaila Coulibaly, Mateu Morey and Dan-Axel Zagadou have recently been joined on the sidelines by Raphael Guerreiro and Youssoufa Moukoko while Mahmoud Dahoud and Giovanni Reyna remain doubtful.

Ajax vs Dortmund Betting Picks

We have all the ingredients for many goals in this match. Dortmund have kept just one single clean sheet from the start of the season across all competitions. Haaland scored 13 goals in nine games for Dortmund across all competitions. Ajax’s only available goalkeeper is their 38-year-old third choice.

We can’t talk about their previous mutual encounters because the last match they played was nine years ago in the Champions League.

If you like betting on goal scorers, Ajax striker Sébastien Haller is priced at +130 while Dortmund’s Haaland is priced at -110. The abundance of attacking options can help Ajax exploit Dortmund’s shaky defense but Dortmund is deadly and they can easily win balls with its high pressing. Both teams have a great chance to win this game and we expect at least three goals on the scoreboard. The line is our friend, and our sportsbook is offering a great price for the over.