Dutch Disarray Meets Turkish Travel Sickness: A Crucial Clash for Ajax and Galatasaray
When Ajax hosts Galatasaray, it’s a meeting of two European giants currently experiencing contrasting fortunes. For one, it's a chance to break a historic slump; for the other, to conquer a long-standing geographical curse. This isn't just a game about points—it's about pride and breaking psychological barriers.
The only prior meeting between these clubs was a 2-1 win for Ajax in the Europa League earlier this year. That loss was the first of a miserable run for Galatasaray on the road in 2025; they have lost all three of their European away games this year. This speaks to a deeper problem: Galatasaray have never won a European game in the Netherlands, losing six of their seven attempts. The air in Amsterdam seems to be their kryptonite.
For Ajax, however, home advantage hasn't counted for much lately. The iconic Dutch club is in the midst of a genuine crisis, having lost their last six major European matches. This equals the longest losing streak in their proud history. The stats are alarming: they’ve spent 78% of their total match time in a losing state this season, a figure only surpassed by Bayern Munich's time spent winning. They’ve also been brutally efficient at conceding, letting in goals with either the first or second shot on target they've faced in each game.
In stark contrast, Galatasaray arrives with momentum. Back-to-back wins over Liverpool and Bodø/Glimt have them aiming for a third consecutive Champions League victory for the first time since 2012. Their 4-2 win over Bodø/Glimt was particularly emphatic, featuring 23 shots with 11 on target—their highest such tally in a Champions League match since 2014.
The Key Battle:
The match pits Ajax’s anemic attack (they are joint-lowest scorers with just one goal) against Galatasaray’s red-hot striker, Victor Osimhen. The Nigerian has been on a tear, scoring in each of his last seven European appearances. For Ajax, veteran Wout Weghorst, who scored their consolation goal against Chelsea, will need to find a rare European scoring touch to keep pace.
The pressure is squarely on Ajax manager John Heitinga, who has lost all three of his UCL games in charge. Another loss would place him among an infamous list of Dutch managers to start their Champions League careers with four consecutive defeats. Can Ajax rediscover their famous fighting spirit, or will Galatasaray finally silence the Amsterdam crowd?
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