Jong Ajax vs Roda Prediction 23.12.2024 | Eerste Divisie

• Competition: Dutch - Eerste Divisie
• Date: Monday, 23rd, December 2024
• Kickoff: 19:00 UK / 20:00 CET
• Venue: Sportcomplex De Toekomst (Ouder-Amstel)

Roda JC Kerkrade will head to Amsterdam on Monday to take on Ajax’s academy side as they aim to reclaim a place in the playoff positions.

After boosting their confidence with a routine 2-0 thrashing of promotion-chasing De Graafschap earlier this month, Ajax’s youngsters delivered a lackluster performance that ultimately led to a 1-2 defeat away to Oss, last week. With 18 points collected from 19 league matches, the Amsterdam club is enduring their worst start since becoming a second-tier competitor in 2013-14, but even if their season takes a positive turn, they remain ineligible for promotion as they are Ajax's reserve team.

Up next in the league, they face a Roda team that has spent years chasing a return to the nation's top tier but has repeatedly fallen short, with last season's heartbreak seeing them narrowly miss automatic promotion on goal difference alone. Last time out, the Kerkrade-based club failed to capitalize on a great opportunity to enter the playoff zone, as they were beaten 0-1 at home by Dordrecht, but fortunately, they are only one point behind eighth-place Helmond with a game in hand.

Jong Ajax vs Roda Betting Tips: UNDER 2.5

With the comfort of playing on their home turf, it seems that Jong Ajax could complicate Roda's quest for a playoff spot by putting up a strong resistance. The Amsterdam-based Ajax team appears ready to challenge the Monday hosts, leaning on their strong defensive unit that has successfully contained the attacks of four visiting teams in their last five home fixtures. Recently, Roda’s offense has struggled to perform as expected, having failed to score more than once in two of their last three Eerste Divisie matches, and they were held scoreless in their most recent outing, a narrow one-goal defeat to Dordrecht. Additionally, it’s important to note that both teams rank among the least efficient sides in the Dutch second division, so we expect a tactical battle where a single goal could ultimately decide the winner.