This week sees the final round of matches in the group stage of this season’s Champions League and Group C features the clash between runaway group winners, Ajax, and 2nd placed Sporting, who have yet to seal their place in the knockout stage of the competition.
Ajax hold a commanding and unassailable six-point lead at the top of Group C thanks to possessing an impressive 100% winning record to date in these group games and the Dutch hosts will be keen to end this campaign on a winning note on Tuesday night.
Almost @ChampionsLeague time again❗#UCL #ajaspo pic.twitter.com/gxUBMnPqVg— AFC Ajax (@AFCAjax) December 5, 2021
Almost @ChampionsLeague time again❗#UCL #ajaspo pic.twitter.com/gxUBMnPqVg
Ajax started their campaign with a resounding 5-1 win away at Tuesday night’s visitors, Sporting Lisbon, and continued that early momentum with home and away victories over Besiktas and Borussia Dortmund to book their place already in the knockout stage of the Champions League.
The hosts have won three of their last four Champions League ties on home soil at their Johan Cruijff Arena and although they’re expected to be without goalkeeper Stekelenburg and midfielder Kudus, the hosts will be in confident mood here.
Onto Sporting Lisbon and the visitors may well be fearing the worst having already been handed a 5-1 mauling by their Dutch counterparts on Matchday 1 of the group stage of the competition but they need a result of some sort to seal their place in the round of last 16.
After suffering early back-to-back defeats against Ajax 5-1 at home and a 1-0 loss away from home at German Bundesliga club, Borussia Dortmund, Sporting Lisbon have produced an amazing comeback as the Portuguese visitors have put together a three-match winning streak.
Victories against Besiktas home and away, winning 4-1 away in Turkey before handing the Turkish outfit a 4-0 loss on home soil at their Estádio José Alvalade along with gaining revenge over Borussia Dortmund with a 3-1 win at home has helped lift Sporting into 2nd spot in Group C.
These flurry of welcome wins in the group stage have now given Sporting Lisbon a valuable three-point cushion over Borussia Dortmund heading into this final matchday but perhaps even more important is the fact that the Portuguese visitors have also scored a total of 11 goals in these last three games as well.
However, with just three away wins from their previous 16 away ties in the Champions League, Sporting do look to have their work cut out to get a result against an in-form Ajax outfit on Tuesday night.