Betdistrict.com
Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk hosts Ajax Amsterdam in the Europa League round 16, first leg. Match will be played in Kiev, so Dnipro’s home court advantage becomes just a little less relevant.
The hosts started the year in fantastic form … 2-0 and 2-2 vs. Olympiakos to qualify to this stage, followed by 5-0 vs. Volyn and 1-0 vs. Karpaty in Ukraine, getting within only 1 point from the second placed Shakhtar. And this only comes to confirm the very good year 2014 they had, including in Europa League, qualifying from a group with Inter, St Etienne and Qarabag. The money invested in the team are finally paying off and Zenit seems very hard to beat at the moment, specially at home … even if they will not play at their own stadium. Dnipro has some problems with injuries for today: Kankava is out, also Pereira Junior, Nascimento and Konoplyanka are questionable.
Dnipro lineup: Boyko – Luchkevych, Fedetskiy, Chygrynskiy, Douglas – Fedorchuck, Bezus, Rotan, Konoplyanka – Zozulya, Kalinic
Bet on Dnipro vs. Ajax and claim your 100% welcome bonus at Bet365.com now!
Ajax is another team in great form … last three matches saw an Ajax at its absolute best, 3-0 vs. Legia Warsaw, 3-1 vs. PSV (both away) and finally 1-0 in the weekend over an in form Excelsior team. A team news analysis will say Frank de Boer only has the old injury worries of Fischer and Sigthorsson … but two important players are back and available to be in the starting lineup if the coach decides so: Milik and Moisander.
Ajax lineup: Cillessen – Van Rhijn, Boilesen, Viergever, Veltman – Serero, Bazoer, Klaassen, Kishna – El Ghazi, Milik
Both teams are in excellent form and there is little separating Dnipro and Ajax at the moment. Hosts are very dangerous in Ukraine, but they might miss some key players so that evens things out. The analysis suggests that a draw is the most probable result, but I will choose extra safety and bet on a draw at half time. I think both teams are too strong to fall behind early and in the first 45 minutes they will try and assess the power of the opponent rather than taking risks. My tip is a half time draw.
Correct score prediction: Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk – Ajax Amsterdam 1-1 (0-0 half time).
Pick: Half time draw
Odds: 2.10 @ Bet365
Stake: 8
Possible profit: 8.80
Event date: 12 March
