Ajax vs Benfica prediction 25.11.2025 | Champions League

Ajax are disappointing this season. They are only fourth in the Eredivisie, 14 points behind the league leader, PSV, while in the Champions League, Ajax are without points after four rounds. The last few months have been terrible for the team from Johan Cruijff Arena, as they have won only one of their previous nine matches. In the most recent outing, Ajax lost 2-1 at home against Excelsior. The home side finished with xG of 1.30, while the guests had only 0.43, but Ajax's defense again let them down. 

After a series of terrible results, Ajax sacked John Heitinga almost three weeks ago and appointed Fred Grim as caretaker head coach. However, that change didn't bring much as Ajax lost the next two matches against Utrecht and Excelsior. After the first defeat in the club's history at home against Excelsior, Grim admitted that the team's confidence is not high at the moment. 

Steven Berghuis and Branco van den Boomen are injured and will not play on Tuesday against Benfica. Also, Anton Gaaei, Lucas Rosa, and Owen Wijndal are questionable, and their status will be clearer closer to the kickoff. 

Benfica have also fallen short of expectations this season. They are six points behind Porto in the Portuguese league, while in the Champions League, like Ajax, they are without points after four rounds. Benfica had not won in two consecutive matches until Friday, when they beat Atletico CP 2-0 in the cup. Supporters were likely expecting a more convincing result against a third-tier opponent. Yet, the key takeaway is that Benfica managed to stop their negative run and get back on track after a series of underwhelming performances.

Benfica's head coach, Jose Mourinho, was disappointed with the first half of the game against Atletico CP. He said, "There were a lot of players who weren't serious, who didn't approach the game properly. At half-time, I made four substitutions, but I would have liked to have made nine. I didn't make five substitutions because I couldn't play 45 minutes without any players on the bench. But I made four, and I think they changed the game thanks to their intensity and seriousness."

Benfica have some problems with injuries. Dodi Lukebakio, Manu, Alexander Bah, Nuno Felix, and Bruma are unavailable for the trip to Johan Cruijff Arena.