Ajax vs PSV Eindhoven Prediction 03.02.2024

• Competition: Dutch Eredivisie
• Date: Saturday, 3rd, February 2024
• Kickoff: 19:00 UK / 20.00 CET
• Venue: Johan Cruijff Arena (Amsterdam)

Departing from its traditional role as the battle for the title between the two Dutch giants, De Topper takes on a different flavor this season, with the rejuvenated fifth-placed Ajax welcoming the runaway leaders PSV Eindhoven to the Johan Cruijff Arena on Saturday.

Ajax vs PSV Eindhoven Betting Tips: 1X (Double chance)

This clash is supposed to represent the crème de la crème of Dutch football, but the ongoing season offers an exceptionally unusual landscape as the gap between Ajax and the unstoppable leaders PSV stands at an incredible 21 points, but there is no doubt that a major victory in De Topper could activate the button for a significant revival for the hosts.

It marked the darkest start to the domestic campaign for the most decorated Dutch club in their illustrious history, considering they notched up just one success in the opening eight top-flight matches, resulting in the instant extinguishing of any hope for the return of the Eredivisie title to the Amsterdam giant's trophy cabinet just two months into the season.

The unimaginably dreadful spell of results for Ajax, particularly after a humiliating 2-5 defeat dealt by their arch-nemesis PSV Eindhoven, pushing them to the league's cellar, acted as the final blow for Maurice Steijn, but the appointment of John van 't Schip as the new helmsman proved to be the best move the club's executives had made at that moment.

Indeed, since the 60-year-old took over the reins of the record-breaking Dutch champions, the Sons of the Gods have enjoyed a remarkable rise in form domestically, not tasting the bitter flavor of failure in any of the 10 Eredivisie affairs under John, during which they claimed impressive nine triumphs and only once shared the spoils.

The sole dropping of points during van 't Schip's tenure occurred in the final exam of 2023 when they squandered a two-goal lead to settle for a dramatic 2-2 draw against Zwolle, but the Amsterdammers host their fierce rivals PSV in superb form after opening 2024 with three wins out of three matches, boasting a goal difference of 11-5.

Discussing the away side, PSV may have experienced a slight dip in form in the penultimate week of January, enduring their first loss of league points this term with a 1-1 draw away to Utrecht and exiting the Dutch Cup in a 0-1 defeat to Feyenoord, but this doesn't alter the fact that they remain the top contenders for winning the national championship.

Unquestionably, the popular Farmers confidently march towards their first Eredivisie title in five years, and only a miracle would be required for them to squander the colossal 10-point lead over defending champions Feyenoord in second place, having picked up the maximum points in 17 out of the opening 18 rounds of this term.

The root cause of PSV's just one win from their past three games across all competitions has been a lack of their usual attacking firepower, scoring four goals in the process, which is rather surprising given that Bosz's men have rattled the opposition's net with incredible 59 times during the first half of the season, averaging 3.5 goals per game.

Despite the Eindhoven club boasting recent dominance over Ajax, including a 5-2 thrashing earlier this season, we reckon the in-form Amsterdammers will show their teeth and manage to grab a point at the very least in front of their home fans. A rain of goals at the Johan Cruyff Arena should not be missed, so a high-scoring share of the spoils could be on the cards.