Ajax v Sporting Lisbon

Ajax v Sporting Lisbon: Portuguese giants will be more competitive

Ajax thrashed Sporting Lisbon when they last met, but Dan Fitch is expecting a more competitive game this time round.

Sporting bounce back after opening double defeat

The top two in Group C meet when Ajax host Sporting Lisbon, with both clubs having already booked their place in the last-16.

Ajax have a perfect record so far, winning all five of their group games. This includes a 5-1 victory in the reverse fixture.

After that defeat in their opening game, things did not look good for Sporting. They looked even worse when they were beaten in their second game by Borussia Dortmund, but they have since won the last three of their group games, giving them nine points. Even if Sporting were to lose this one and third placed Dortmund levelled their points tally, the Portuguese giants would remain ahead of the Germans, based on head-to-head goal difference.

After losing that second group game to Dortmund, Ruben Amorim's side have won twelve games in a row across all competitions, which includes a crucial Primeira Liga match over the weekend, in which Sporting won 3-1 at Benfica. Ajax won 5-0 at home to Willem II on Friday night, keeping them top of a very tight Eredivisie title race.

Sporting will be more competitive this time round

Ajax are the 1.55 favourites, with the draw at 4.7 and Sporting Lisbon at 6.6.

Those odds look about right. Ajax have been the dominant team in the group, but Sporting have made enough improvements over the past few weeks, for this game to be considered competitive. The Dutch masters have yet to concede at home, but that record could be tested.

Sporting's last three games in the Champions League have seen them score a total of eleven goals. Both teams to score is priced at 1.71.