- Ajax are winless in three home games (D1, L2).
- Benfica have won both of their last two away games.
- Ajax have failed to score at home in this season’s UEFA Champions League.
Ajax are yet to hit their stride
It is a critical night in Europe for both AFC Ajax and SL Benfica on Tuesday when the two current underdogs meet at the Johan Cruijff Arena.
Both clubs have failed to make an impact on the 2025-2026 Champions League campaign so far, with both sitting at the bottom of the table after four games with zero points. Ajax are 36th in the table and Benfica just one place ahead in 35th, but whichever club can get the win will still have an outside chance of reaching the last 16.
The AFC Ajax vs SL Benfica odds of 23/25 on the visitors to take the win still look attractive to us as José Mourinho’s men have shown more recent form than the Dutch giants and have the more cunning manager for this tactical chess match. Ajax are priced at 161/50 to get the better of a Benfica side that have won three of their last five and lost only once, while the draw is 72/25.
Benfica can disrupt Ajax’s gameplan
Fred Grim has not had the easiest of rides since taking over as Ajax boss in November 2025. He’s yet to bring stability back to the club. The Amsterdam club have an aggressive 4-3-3 system based around high pressing and getting the ball to their forward players as quickly as possible after winning it back.
But our AFC Ajax vs SL Benfica prediction is that they have been too easily disrupted in recent games and are now winless in their last three, with two defeats during that run. Benfica’s pragmatic approach under Mourinho, who took over in September 2025, could be just the way to mess with Ajax’s system on Tuesday.
The Portuguese champions are all about getting men behind the ball, defending with discipline and quick transitions to create counter-attacking chances. They are not afraid to cede possession and allow the opposition to have the lion's share in order to try and catch them on the counter-attack.
Benfica have a better team to win this clash
Ajax have lost both of their home games in the Champions League, failing to score in both. This AFC Ajax vs SL Benfica preview highlights that Benfica have lost both of their away trips in the competition as well but have conceded an average of only two goals per game.
Benfica have a player in form right now with Vangelis Pavlidis having scored three goals in their last five games in all competitions. The most prolific Benfica player in this competition so far, however, is midfielder Georgiy Sudakov with two assists in his four appearances. Ajax’s leading scorer in the Champions League is Wout Weghorst with one goal in three appearances, while Mika Godts has scored half of their last five goals across all competitions.
According to the latest AFC Ajax vs SL Benfica prediction, Ajax are a much better side than they have shown in the Champions League and Benfica’s recent form suggests they can beat the Dutch side, but both teams are struggling for goals and the BTTS market at 63/100 looks good value as neither team wants to give their slim European hopes away. For those considering their wagers, our AFC Ajax vs SL Benfica betting tips focus on both teams’ low scoring trends and defensive strategies.
