The match of the 8th round of the group stage of the 2025/26 Champions League between Ajax (Netherlands) and Olympiacos (Greece) will take place on 28 january at Johan Cruijff Arena in Amsterdam. Ajax vs Olympiacos: prediction, betting odds and statistics.
Ajax
Ajax struggled until the fifth round of this group stage, losing all of those matches. But in the last two fixtures the home side won, both away, and as a result returned to the fight for a place in the play-offs. First the hosts defeated Karabakh (4:2), and in the previous meeting they unexpectedly beat Villarreal (2:1). The club trails the top 24 by two points, so only a win in the final round will do. It is also worth noting that, along with two other opponents, the home side has the worst defence – 19 goals conceded.
- Ajax's uncompromising run in this European competition stands at 14 matches (4 wins and 10 losses).
- At least three goals were scored in 11 of the club's previous 13 Champions League matches.
- The team conceded two or more goals in 10 of the last 12 games in this tournament.
Potential Ajax Lineup (4-3-3)
Vitezslav Jaros – Anton Goei, Aaron Bauman, Owen Wijndal, Yuri Baas – Yuri Reger, Davy Klaassen, Jorti Mokio – Oskar Gluh, Mika Godts, Kasper Dolberg.
Midfielder Steven Bergwijn is injured.
Olympiacos
Olympiacos also secured both of their wins in the group stage of the 2025/26 Champions League in the last two rounds. After an away triumph over Kairat (1:0) the visiting team followed up with an unexpected home victory against Bayer (2:0). However, Olympiacos has two draws as well, which helped the visiting team get into the scoring zone of the main stage of the European competition. For now the team is 24th, but dropping points in the 8th round could mean missing out on the play-offs.
- The club has failed to win in 9 of its last 11 Champions League matches (5 draws and 4 losses).
- No more than two goals were scored in 5 of Olympiacos's last 7 games in this competition.
- The Greeks scored in 6 of their last 7 away matches in the Champions League.
Potential Olympiacos Lineup (4-5-1)
Konstantinos Tzolakis – Costinha, Lorenzo Pirola, Panagiotis Retsos, Francisco Ortega – Rodinei, Santiago Esse, Chiquinho, Christos Muzakitis, Chiquinho – Mehdi Taremi.
Midfielder Theofanis Bakalakis and goalkeeper Alexandros Paschalakis are out due to injury.
Referee
François Letexier (France)
Matches – 18 (International fixtures, 2024/25 - 2025/26);
Yellow/red cards shown (including second yellows) – 77;
Average yellow/red cards per match – 4.3;
Red cards shown – 4;
Average fouls per match – 21;
Penalties – 39%.
Ajax vs Olympiacos: Match Prediction
Both sides have huge tournament motivation. Only a victory leaves a chance to reach the play-offs, so there will be no talk of playing for a draw or focusing solely on defence. In a matchup of opponents of roughly equal strength, the home arena can become a decisive factor. However, Ajax have lost all five of their previous Champions League home matches, and in each of those fixtures the Amsterdam side conceded at least two goals.
We believe that once again Ajax will not keep a clean sheet. Olympiacos may not win often away from home, yet in six of their previous matches in this tournament they lost only to strong sides Arsenal and Barcelona. At the same time, the Greeks scored in 6 of their last 7 away Champions League games. Therefore, the optimal option seems to be a bet on both teams scoring in this game. Both clubs will play the final round in attack and will fight until the final whistle.
Prediction: Both teams to score
