Ajax vs Inter Prediction for 18 September 2025 - Football

📢 What can we expect from the clash between Ajax and Inter in the opening round of the Champions League group stage? The match, set to take place in Amsterdam at the Johan Cruyff Arena, promises to be one of the highlights of the day. Both teams boast a rich history in European competitions, yet they approach this new campaign with different mindsets. Ajax remain undefeated in the new season, while Inter have struggled in their last two outings. However, in a head-to-head encounter, past form often counts for little.

Head-to-Head

📊 Ajax and Inter haven't crossed paths on the pitch for quite some time—their last encounter was back in 2008 during a friendly tournament. Many years have passed since then, and both teams have undergone significant changes. This current clash can be seen as an entirely new chapter in their history.

Ajax Amsterdam Team Overview

🔴 Ajax have long been regarded as one of the strongest teams in the Netherlands. From the 2018/19 to 2021/22 seasons, the club clinched the national title three times (with the exception of the 2019/20 season, which was concluded early due to the pandemic without declaring a winner). However, in recent years, titles have eluded the Amsterdam side: in the 2023/24 campaign, they finished fifth, a significant disappointment for their fans.

❌ Last season, Ajax started strongly and led the league table for a considerable time, but faltered towards the end with a run of four games without a win, which cost them the championship. Ultimately, they surrendered the title to PSV, falling just one point short, despite having a substantial lead with five matches remaining.

❓ In the current league campaign, Ajax have begun more consistently: three wins and two draws from their first five matches. They currently sit in third place, trailing Feyenoord and PSV by just one point. In their latest match, Ajax confidently dispatched PEC Zwolle at home with a 3-1 victory, and judging by the statistics, they could have won by an even larger margin.

Inter Milano Team Overview

🔵 Inter remain the last Italian team to claim the Champions League title, a feat they achieved back in 2010. Since then, the Nerazzurri have only occasionally come close to the summit: in the 2022/23 season, they reached the final but fell to Manchester City (0-1). This summer, they suffered a humiliating defeat against PSG (0-5) in a decisive match.

❌ Last season was inconsistent for the Milan side. They were in contention for a treble for much of the campaign but ended up without a single trophy. Adding insult to injury, they were knocked out in the round of 16 of the Club World Cup by Brazil's Fluminense (0-2).

❓ The start of this season hasn't been promising either: in three official matches, Inter have secured just one victory. Last weekend, they lost to Juventus in a thrilling encounter (3-4), despite leading 3-2 and controlling the game until the 80th minute. Notably, Juventus' xG was only 0.66, highlighting how avoidable the conceded goals were.

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Ajax Amsterdam

📣 John Heitinga, Ajax's coach, emphasized after their 3-1 victory over Zwolle that this is the standard of football the team should uphold: "This is the norm; this is how we want to play. In the first half, we managed to entertain our fans, but we should have scored more goals." According to him, Ajax lacked intensity in the second half: "After the break, our game deteriorated, as if sand got into the gears. The second half needs to be significantly better."

🚫 Ajax face two personnel uncertainties ahead of their next match. Aaron Bowman sustained an injury, leaving his participation in doubt. A similar situation applies to Branco van den Boomen, who is dealing with back issues.

Inter Milano

📣 Cristian Chivu, Inter's coach, expressed satisfaction with his team's commitment despite their thrilling 4-3 defeat to Juventus: "We played a strong match in both halves. We came from behind twice and managed to equalize. We need to read the game better; we came here to win." Chivu acknowledged that Inter lacked composure: "In the last ten minutes, we lost a bit of control. It's crucial to read the game correctly and maintain composure when you manage to get back into it. We'll learn from the good moments and continue to work hard."

🚫 On the positive side for Inter, they currently have no injury concerns—every player is available to the coaching staff.

⚽️ Goal Prediction

⚽️ Goal Prediction

Ajax showcase impressive consistency in attack on home turf, having scored in 24 of their last 25 official home matches. Adding to this is the opponent factor: Inter have shown defensive frailties at the start of the season, as highlighted by their match against Juventus, where the Nerazzurri conceded four goals (3-4). This sets a strong foundation for the Amsterdam side to find the back of the net in the upcoming match. We're backing an Ajax goal.

🚩 Corner Prediction

Ajax play with intensity at home, spending significant time in the opposition's half, which directly impacts their corner statistics. In 6 of their last 7 matches in Amsterdam, they consistently delivered more than four corners, showcasing a high tempo and relentless pressure down the flanks. With this style of play, the likelihood of continuing this trend appears quite high. We're betting on Ajax over 4.5 corners.