CHAMPIONS LEAGUE BETTING PICK - REAL MADRID V AJAX

Champions League

2011-09-27 - Real Madrid vs Ajax

A Sports Betting Pick by Auls

Real Madrid v Ajax
Football : Champions League Match Day 2
Tuesday 27 September 2011 - Kickoff 7:45pm
This game is live on TV

---

Real Madrid

This is a big season for Jose Mourinho as his antics as manager of Real Madrid will only be tolerated by the President if he can lead his team to success in Spain and Europe. With a star studded line up, and his promise that his side will always improve in the 2nd season of his management, a lot of eyes are on the Capital of Spain.

They have not made the greatest starts to La Liga, going 3-1-1 in their opening 5 games of the season, but they have been much more comfortable playing at the Santiago Bernebeau where they have won both League games while scoring 10 goals and conceding 4.

Real Madrid thrashed Rayo Vallecano 6-2 at home over the weekend, stopping a run of 1 goal in 3 games as the team looked to hit an early blip of form. They have won 4 of their last 5 games at home in all competitions.

Los Merengues lost their last Champions League game at home in the controversial Semi Final with Barcelona, but they had won their previous 5 games without conceding a goal. They have kept clean sheets in 7 of their last 9 home games in the Group Stage of this competition.

Pepe and Fabio Contreao are both ruled out after missing the game at the weekend too. Ricardo Carvalho was ruled out with a concussion on Saturday, but he has been included in the squad for this game. Marcelo and Jose Mourinho are both suspended, but Hamit Altintop is in the squad for the first time since signing from Bayern Munich.

Ajax

Ajax are not the team of old that won 4 European Cups in their history and they no longer keep their best talent for as long as they used to. The Dutch side are still capable of playing some nice football, but they are not the threat they used to be and getting to the last 16 would be an achievement.

They are 3rd in the Eredivisie having picked up 15 points from their opening 7 games of the season and they are still unbeaten in Holland. Ajax have a 2-2-0 record away from home, scoring 11 goals and conceding 7.

Ajax are unbeaten in all 9 games they have played since losing to Twente in the Super Cup to open the season. They did win their last away game in the Champions League at Milan last year, but that is their only one in 6 away games in the competition. They were held to a 0-0 home draw with Lyon on Match Day 1 this season.

Nicolai Boilesen has been ruled out for Ajax, but Miralem Sulejmani and Vurnon Anita are both back in the squad. Aras Ozbiliz, Mats Rits and Bruno Silva are all also missing in action.

Head to Head

Ajax had had the best of the meetings with Real Madrid before they met at this stage of the competition after securing 4 wins to 1 loss with 1 draw in 6 previous meetings against them.

However, Real Madrid have pulled closer in the meetings by securing a 2-0 home win and a 0-4 win in Amsterdam last year.

Prediction

I would be surprised if Real Madrid are not capable of securing another win in the Champions League when they face Ajax at home and I expect they will put themselves in a strong position to qualify for the last 16.

I was a little concerned with the defensive side of things for Madrid, but the return of Ricardo Carvalho will really help and I feel we may see another win for the home side coupled with a clean sheet.

This was something they were used to last season before the game with Barcelona, and they managed to blank an Ajax side that contained Luis Suarez in the game at Amsterdam as well as when they met at the Bernebeau earlier in the tournament.

The goals conceded at home for Real Madrid is a concern, but they have been professional in their Champions League games under Jose Mourinho and I expect them to win this one with a clean sheet to boot.

The Statistics :

The Pick :

FIXED ODDS BETTING TIP :

I'll back Real Madrid win to nil @ 2.10