Erik ten Hag has announced the line-up of Ajax for the home match against Fortuna Sittard. The team from Amsterdam takes over the lead from PSV with a victory over the Limburgers. The gap with the Eindhoven residents is one point. PSV will play at home against Go Ahead Eagles on Thursday evening. The duel between Ajax and Fortuna Sittard starts at 9 p.m. in the Johan Cruijff ArenA and is led by referee Marc Nagtegaal.
Ten Hag has Jurriën Timber, whose deployability was doubtful after he fell out against Feyenoord on Sunday. The defender forms a central duo with Perr Schuurs; Daley Blind is the left back. Compared to the match against Feyenoord, Lisandro Martínez disappears from the defense and therefore Devyne Rensch is in the starting lineup as right back. The Argentinian is not part of the selection and the same goes for Edson Álvarez, who also had a base place in De Kuip. Ten Hag may have given the two Christmas holidays earlier, although this is not clear. Due to the absence of Álvarez, a place has been created for Davy Klaassen in midfield.
Home matches against Fortuna are usually a guarantee of three points for Ajax. Of the 22 times that both teams faced each other in the Johan Cruijff ArenA, Ajax took off 20 times with the full loot. Once the game ended undecided, once Fortuna won. It will be a special duel for Zian Flemming and Schuurs. They will play against their former employer tonight. Flemming comes from Ajax’s youth academy and made 25 appearances for Jong Ajax in the 2017/18 season.
Ajax setup: Pasveer, Rensch, Schuurs, Timber, Blind; Klaassen, Berghuis, Gravenberch; Antony, Haller, Tadic
Setup Fortuna Sittard: van Osch; Tirpan, Angha, Janssen, Cox; Duarte, Samaris, Ferati; Rienstra, Flemming, Seuntjens