Ajax vs Manchester United - Europa League Final Preview and Odds

Published on: 24/05/2017

Ajax vs Manchester United - Europa League Final Preview and Odds

Wed 24, 2017 19:45pm - Friends Arena - Stockholm

Europa League - Final

Wednesday`s Europa League Final will be preceded by a minute`s silence in honour of the victims of Mondays terror attack in Manchester as the English club seeks to add the final piece to their collection of UEFA trophies.

Youth takes on experience in Euro showdown

Ajax`s youngsters will arrive in Stockholm understandably nervous but also quietly confident that they can pull off a shock result having already claimed the scalps of Lyon, Schalke and Celta Vigo on their way to this final. If they can impose their positive and attacking style on their illustrious opponents, a fascinating encounter could unfold.

The Dutch side have never compromised on their philosophy throughout the event and are unlikely to do anything different on Wednesday. If anything, the English side will have to plan who to deal with their relentless approach.

For Jose Mourinho, this game will represent the justification of his decision to basically give up on the fight for a top four place in the Premier League to concentrate on winning this competition. If his plan backfires, the Red Devils will fail to qualify for the Champions League for the third time in four years.

The Old Trafford side already have a domestic pot to their name (EFL Trophy) but it is these types of events that the Portuguese boss thrives on, and he will be keen to showcase his tactical prowess on Wednesday night. Against such inexperienced opposition, anything other than success would surely feel like a failure for one of the worlds most expensively assembled squad.

Team news

Ajax:

Suspended - Viergever (suspended)

Injured - Sinkgraven (knee/fitness)

Manchester United:

Suspended - Bailly (suspended)

Injured - Shaw (ankle), Ibrahimović (knee), Rojo (knee), Young (hamstring)

Recent form (All competitions)

Ajax: WLWWLLWWWW

Manchester United: WLDLWDDWWW

Betting odds and tips

Manchester United will start as favourites but their approach in this tournament has often produced tight games with low goal counts. In fact their last seven matches in this event have ended with scorelines of 1-0 or 1-1. As a result, another tight encounter can be expected and extra time could well be on the agenda.

You can back the Draw at 12/5 with Bet365

By Neil Morris

Published on: 24/05/2017

Any odds displayed within this preview were correct at the time of publishing (24/05/2017 10:24:12) but are subject to change.