European football royalty visits the Amex Stadium when take on Brighton in a match of critical importance to both clubs.
Neither are in great form, with the Seagulls winless in their last five games in all competitions and the Dutch giants managerless after parting company with Maurice Steijn on Monday following a wretched run of eight games without a victory stretching back to the end of August.
It’s little surprise he has gone. Ajax have won the Eredivise 36 times and back in the day they lifted the European Cup on four occasions while also winning the Uefa Cup and European Cup Winners’ Cup, but they are currently second from bottom in their domestic league.
Furthermore, they are a massive 22 points behind leaders PSV Eindhoven, who they visit on Sunday. Club legend Johan Cruyff, one of football’s all-time greats, must be turning in his grave.
Both teams are hit by injuries with Brighton without influential pair Danny Welbeck and Solly March and Seagulls boss Roberto De Zerbi is likely to start Ansu Fati, who scored in Saturday’s defeat at Manchester City after leaving the bench, in attack alongside teenager Evan Ferguson.
Brighton are bottom of Group B after two games but their solitary point was from a battling 2-2 draw in Marseille after a rude introduction to their first game in Europe when they were beaten by AEK Athens.
They are 10/11 with Coral to lead HT/FT with Fati 11/2 to score the first goal with bet365 and 5/4 with the same firm to hit the net at any time.
West Ham, who enjoy European action, can bounce back from Sunday’s 4-1 tonking at Aston Villa by winning at Olympiakos at Betway’s 23/20. Jarrod Bowen is 15/2 with Paddy Power and Betfair to break the deadlock and 13/5 with the same firms to score at some stage in the proceedings.
Liverpool should have an enjoyable night at home to Toulouse with Mohamed Salah 7/2 with Paddy Power and Betfair to bag the opening goal while the Reds are 8/11 to lead HT/FT.
Finally, Aston Villa are 13/5 with bet365 to draw at AZ Alkmaar in the Europa Conference League and Douglas Luiz is 9/2 with Sky Bet to get on the scoresheet.
• It’s just two years since the Texas Rangers lost 102 games in a calamitous Major League Baseball season, made only slightly less painful by the Arizona Diamondbacks being beaten 110 times in the 162-game campaign. The two teams have rebuilt at a lightning pace and meet in the early hours of Saturday morning’s first game in the best-of-seven World Series.
Texas – scheduled for a potential four home games – can use homefield advantage to win their first Fall Classic at 4/6 with Betfair but it could be tight. Back the Rangers to take the title after winning 4-3 at 4/1 with William Hill while Texas slugger Adolis Garcia is 5/1 with the same firm to be MVP.
• Stefon Diggs is 6/1 to score the first touchdown as the Buffalo Bills seek to bounce back from the surprise defeat at New England on Sunday which gave Patriots coach Bill Belichick his 300th NFL win. The Bills can triumph on Thursday night at home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers by over 7.5 points at 5/6 with Coral and Ladbrokes.
