Ajax Amsterdam vs Heracles Almelo Prediction: Steijn Looking To Carve History With Dutch Giants

In the first round of the Eredivisie, Ajax Amsterdam will be facing off against Heracles Almelo at the iconic Johan Cruijff ArenA. After a challenging previous season, Ajax is eager to start their campaign on a positive note and regain their dominance in the league.

Heracles Almelo, on the other hand, will undoubtedly be looking to make an impact and cause an upset against one of the league's giants. As underdogs in this encounter, they will be motivated to prove themselves against formidable opposition.

Let's have a look at the latest Netherlands Eredivisie predictions between Ajax Amsterdam vs Heracles Almelo, probable lineups, match facts and betting odds for you to consider!

Note: Odds are subject to change at any time!

The Dutch giants will kickstart their first game of the new Eredivisie season under the stewardship of new and former Sparta Rotterdam manager Maurice Steijn, who has put pen to paper a three-year contract deal. It was a shrewd move in the eyes of loyal supporters and pundits, as it was Steijn who guided Sparta Rotterdam to their best finish in 27 years, a sixth place finish in the previous season.

This decision comes after a rocky season under the management of rookie coach John Heitinga, who came short of meeting the deadline of steering the 36-time Eredivisie Champions to a better finish in the previous season as they had to be content with a third-place finish, which was marked down in the history books as the worst league finish to date in 14 years.

Not only did they finish in the worst possible position, but this has meant that the Immaculate Johan Cruijff ArenA will be without the bright lights of the most prestigious competition in Europe, the UEFA Champions League, as they will have to find comfort in the Europa League, where their fate regarding their participation is yet to be decided in the play-off rounds.

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It was a tough period for Heracles in the 2021–22 season, where their 17-year stint in the Eredivisie came crushing down hard as they suffered relegation to the second tier. It was a heartbreaking moment for loyal supporters, but at the same time a deserving fate given their lack of collective performance.

While another fumble was to be expected in the previous season of the Eerste Divisie, where their stay was predicted to be a lengthy one, this wasn't the case as they asserted their dominance in the second tier to top the league with 85 points thanks to a goal differential that put them above second-placed PEC Zwolle, whom they were level on points with.

Former player and manager John Lammers, who was behind Heracles Almelo's immediate return to the top flight, will now be tasked with leading the Almelo-based club to glory, and while ambitions will see them challenging for European football this season, avoiding immediate relegation will also be worth calling a great achievement.

With six preseason games played, most of them against Dutch rivals, they were in fine form, though a more improved showing would have been highly anticipated as they lost three and won three.

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• Ajax Amsterdam are unbeaten in their last 17 matches at home when playing against Heracles Almelo.
• Heracles Almelo have won six of their last seven away matches across all competitions.
• Ajax Amsterdam averages 1.7 goals per game when playing at home, and Heracles Almelo averages 2.5 goals per game when playing away.

In the last 34 meetings, Ajax Amsterdam have won 24 times, Heracles Almelo have won 3 times, and there have been 7 draws, with the goal difference being 83-20 in favor of Ajax Amsterdam.

If it's a dream start Heracles were hoping to make following their immediate return to the top tier, then those hopes have turned out to be a pipe dream as they are pitted against Dutch giants who will prove to be way above their league, and John Lammers will undeniably have his hands full trying to steer his side away from defeat.

Dutch giants Ajax Amsterdam will be out to make amends for their poor showing in the previous season as they look to stamp their name as a dominant side this season despite some notable names that have left the club, including the likes of Dusan Tadic, Jurrien Timber, and Edson Alvarez, to name a few. They will hope that, under the guidance of Maurice Steijn, they'll achieve greater heights by bringing back the glory days.

Ajax Amsterdam have been the dominant side in this fixture; they have remained undefeated in their last 17 matches when playing at home, with 13 of those matches resulting in victories, and during that time, they have scored more than two goals in 11 of those matches. As such, we anticipate them to assert their dominance tenfold by scoring an individual total of over 2.5 goals, which could lead to their first three points of the new season.

• Total 1 - Over 2.5 for 1.73
• Goals - Over 3.5 for 1.85
• Half-time/Full-time Result - Ajax Amsterdam for 1.61