UEFA Champions League Round of 16

The second day of Champions League action offers another set of must-see events. Tuesday's matches set the tone as a short-staffed PSG squad defeated Manchester United at Old Trafford, while Roma bested Porto to take a narrow lead back to Portugal for the second leg in a fortnight.

Wednesday is a showcase of four high-powered outfits throughout the European landscape. Bundesliga leaders Dortmund travel to London for a showdown with Tottenham Hotspurs, but, unfortunately, each team has incurred significant injuries prior to their meeting, taking away the original shine placed on this particular matchup.

Three-time defending champs Real Madrid highlight the matchday. Los Blancos will square off with perennial Dutch powers Ajax at the famed Johan Cruijff Arena, with each team heading in opposite directions from the original draw, many believe the Madrid side will simply coast into the quarterfinals without much resistance.

Ajax vs Real Madrid
Johan Cruijff ArenA, Amsterdam, Netherlands
12-13-2019 - 3:00 pm ET - TNT / Univision

Ajax would have preferred to face the Madridistas when the original draw took place, the Lancers have recently fallen on hard times after racing out to an undefeated start to their current season. The Dutch-men must now dig deep and hope to turn their recent woes around, as the Royal Whites are a huge obstacle to overcome for any team in the world.

Erik ten Hag has been instrumental in reigniting this classic side, the second-year manager has been largely responsible for leading his group to their first round of 16 appearance since the 2005-2006 season.

Ajax's Youth Movement

The hosts have long been known for producing some of the top players in the footballing world, their current squad is once again full of young talent that has the larger clubs anxious to purchase their rights going forward.

Dutch wonder-kid Frenkie de Jong is the latest to make the massive move to a monster club. Barcelona swooped in and outbid the likes of PSG, and Manchester City for his services, paying €86 million for his move to Catalan country over the Summer.

The newly signed Barca man has been a major doubt to face his new rivals after picking up an injury over the weekend, but reports have circulated of his sudden recovery and current availability for a starting nod. The defensive midfielder will be an added plus if he is able to go, providing pure quality on both sides of the ball will be required to trump their famous visitors.

The hosts are blessed with a plethora of highly skilled target-men, with Kasper Dolberg, Dušan Tadić, and Hakim Ziyech are all set to help lead the attack for the Eredivisie representatives. The Lancer's front-line have combined for an impressive 45 goals and 20 assists in all competitions, giving Los Blancos plenty to consider as they step onto the field with Ajax's feared trio.

Ajax have enjoyed playing at the Johan Cruijff ArenA during their current campaign, the hosts enter Wednesday's fixture with an overall record of 16-3-0. The Dutch-men must lean on their sparkling home record to help carry them through this particular contest, Real Madrid have owned this series over the years going 6-0-0, while winning by a margin of 20-2 during this one-sided span, giving the Ajax community plenty of concerns as the opening whistle arrives.

Real Madrid are arguably the hottest team on the planet. The Madridistas have surged since the sacking of Julen Lopetegui, now with the opportunity to capture a fourth straight Champions League title, the Spaniards are once again clicking on all cylinders as the stretch run begins.

Santiago Solari has grabbed high praise since taking over the managerial duties this past fall, the former Madrid player has steered the ship around after a dreadful start from the defending champs, placing the club in title considerations on three different fronts.

Solari's Tough Decisions

The Argentine head-man was placed in a position to make unpopular decisions regarding the future of the team, choosing the bench fan favorites Isco, Marcelo, Marco Asensio, and Gareth Bale on a regular basis.

Solari has now earned his stripes for making such tactical decisions, along with placing teen sensation Vinícius Júnior into his normal rotation. The young Brazilian has been at the forefront of Madrid's revival, giving the club a true spark to a once lethargic attack, his explosive pace and all around awareness has been irreplaceable within the teams overall chemistry.

Karim Benzema has been the main benefactor of the change at the top, the French striker has been at the edge of mediocracy over the past several years, but now playing alongside Madrid's budding super-star he seems to be reenergized, scoring goals at a prolific rate, he has placed 6 balls in the back of the net during his last 6 outings along.

Los Blancos have also relied heavily on their superb midfield connection of Casemiro, Toni Kroos, and Luka Modrić. The visitors generally have a decided advantage when these three are all partnered together within Madrid's 4-3-3 formation, using their wealth of experience and supreme talent to simply overwhelm their opponents, I expect them to outclass Ajax in the middle of the pitch for the majority of this round of 16 matchup.

Team Prop
Real Madrid - Team Total Over 1.5  -140 / 1.71 - Goals

Real Madrid is peaking at just the right moment, Los Blancos enter Wednesday's fixture having gone undefeated in their last 7 outings while scoring an average of 2.7 goals over that terrific run of form. The Whites have also scored a minimum of 3 goals during their last 6 matches with Ajax, placing the Lancers on high alert each time the defending champs move forward in attack.

Ajax vs Real Madrid - Match Prediction

The opportunity to see a large scoring output takes place in the Dutch capital, with two teams who offer world class attacking options. We should witness plenty of shots being produced on one another's goal.

Ajax believes they are a different unit from teams of the past, coming in riding a 14 match unbeaten streak in European competitions while averaging 2.9 goals per match while on their own grounds, they feel confident they can give Los Blancos all they can handle for the full 90 plus minutes.

Real Madrid is quite similar in their plan of attack, both teams rely on strong wing play, through balls, set-pieces, and counter-attacking football to their advantage. Each club also offers a stable of dangerous finishers in front of goal, making for plenty of action as this match unfolds.

Match Prop
Both Teams To Score and Over 2.5 Goals  -125 / 1.8

Based on each sides style of play I anticipate seeing each team getting on the final score-line, with Real Madrid having seen the total eclipse 2.5 goals in 29 out of their last 32 UEFA matches, I expect those numbers to continue to grow by the conclusion of this leg one affair.

Ajax vs Real Madrid - Betting Tips

Over 1.25  -110 / 1.91 - Total 1st Half Goals
Over 3  -120 / 1.83  -  Total Full-Time Goals

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