
The Football Faithful
·22 octobre 2025
Chelsea vs Ajax – Match Preview and Team News

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Yahoo sportsThe Football Faithful
·22 octobre 2025
Chelsea will be aiming to secure their first home Champions League victory of the season on Wednesday when they welcome a struggling Ajax side to Stamford Bridge.
Enzo Maresca’s team bounced back with a win on matchday two but face significant injury problems. Ajax, conversely, arrive in London pointless and goalless after two games, making this a pivotal encounter for both clubs’ qualification hopes.
Manager Enzo Maresca is currently contending with a severe injury crisis. For instance, key players Cole Palmer, Levi Colwill, Wesley Fofana, Liam Delap, Dario Essugo, and Benoît Badiashile are all unavailable for selection tonight. Furthermore, midfielders Enzo Fernández and Moisés Caicedo face late fitness tests to determine their involvement. Adding to the selection issues, striker João Pedro is suspended following his red card against Benfica. This absence could potentially open the door for youngsters Tyrique George or Marc Guiu to feature.
The Dutch side also have significant injury concerns. The team expect Owen Wijndal, Kasper Dolberg, and Branco van den Boomen all to miss out tonight. Consequently, Wout Weghorst will likely lead the attack in Dolberg’s absence. Manager Johnny Heitinga is also under considerable pressure, especially after losing his first two Champions League games in charge.
The Blues appear to have recovered well from a recent dip in form. In fact, they have won four of their last five matches across all competitions. Their crucial 1-0 win away at Benfica on the last matchday got their European campaign firmly back on track. Significantly, Chelsea boast a strong home record in this competition. They are unbeaten in their last 12 Champions League group games at Stamford Bridge, a run stretching back to 2019.
Ajax, in contrast, are enduring a torrid run of form, having won just one of their last seven matches overall. Their start to this season’s Champions League has been disastrous, losing both opening games without scoring a single goal. Moreover, they are currently on a five-match losing streak in major European competitions. Their record against English clubs is also poor; they are winless in their last 11 meetings.
Chelsea predicted XI: Sanchez; Gusto, Tosin, Chalobah, Cucurella; Caicedo, Santos; Neto, Estevao, Gittens; Guiu
Ajax predicted XI: Jaros; Gaaei, Sutalo, Baas, Rosa; Klaassen, Taylor; Edvardsen, Gloukh, Godts; Weghorst
Fans in the UK can watch the match live on TNT Sports. Coverage begins at 7:30 pm BST. Additionally, subscribers can stream the game via the Discovery+ app and website.
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