Shelbourne vs Ajax Prediction 13.08.2026 | Europa Conference League

For Shelbourne, simply reaching this stage and earning the opportunity to test themselves against a four-time European champion represents a massive achievement, though Ian Morris’s men are fully aware that they face a proverbial mountain to climb if they are to book a place in the playoff round.

In last week's first leg in Amsterdam, the Shels were thoroughly outclassed in every department and can count themselves incredibly fortunate to have avoided a heavy drubbing, particularly given that they conceded a staggering 32 shots while Ajax finished the encounter with an overwhelming 3.2 expected goals (xG).

Be that as it may, the Dublin-based outfit have given their supporters very little to cheer about ahead of Thursday's clash as their current form continues on a sharp downward trajectory, with a disappointing 2-1 home defeat against St Patrick's Athletic over the weekend stretching their losing streak to four matches across all competitions.

Compounding their recent miserable run of form, Shelbourne must also navigate the high-profile absences of key forwards John Martin and Mipo Odubeko, both of whom remain sidelined with injury issues and have been completely ruled out of contention for Thursday's return fixture.

As for Ajax, the Dutch giants arrive in Dublin with a clear objective to routinely finish the job and confirm their spot in the Conference League playoff round, having already demonstrated a vast gulf in class in the final third during the first leg where it was something of a miracle that they only emerged with a 3-1 victory.

The summer appointment of former Girona boss Míchel appears to have had an immediate positive impact, as de Godenzonen look highly impressive and clinical in the opening assignments of their new 2026-27 campaign, maintaining a perfect record across four competitive outings which includes a routine 2-0 opening-day Eredivisie triumph over PEC Zwolle at the weekend.

When factoring in their summer friendlies, Ajax travel to Ireland carrying a glittering seven-match winning streak in all competitions, while a formidable return of 13 goals scored across their first four official matches of the new campaign clearly demonstrates that their frontline is currently firing on all cylinders and looking near-unstoppable.

The Amsterdam-based club do, however, face a selection headache in the defensive department, given that none of their four center-backs—Josip Šutalo, Ko Itakura, Ahmetcan Kaplan, and Dies Janse—are available for selection due to injuries, meaning the youthful duo of Youri Baas and Aaron Bouwman are pushing to start in the heart of the defense.