Manchester United vs. Ajax: Europa League Final Odds and Prediction

The second-biggest annual club competition in European soccer is the UEFA Europa League, which is surpassed only by the Champions League. The Europa League final is Wednesday, and the winner between Ajax Amsterdam and Manchester United will earn a spot directly into the group stage for next season’s Champions League competition. Let’s break down the Sports Interaction odds for the match.

Manchester United vs. Ajax Amsterdam

Moneylines: Man U -124, Ajax +352, draw +251
Total: 2.5
Date: Wednesday, May 24, 2:45 p.m. ET
Location: Friends Arena, Stockholm, Sweden

Europa League: Manchester United vs. Ajax Amsterdam

Let’s start by saying there was some consideration of postponing this match because of the terror attack at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester on Monday night but it will be played as scheduled with heightened security.

Since the 2014-15 season, the champion of the Europa League has qualified for the next edition of the Champions League (as well as the UEFA Super Cup), entering at least the playoff round if not already qualified through domestic performance.

Ajax already is in the third qualifying round of the 2017-18 Champions League thanks to finishing second in the Dutch Eredivisie to Feyenoord Rotterdam by just one point. But a win here gets Ajax straight into group stage because both of this year’s CL finalists, Juventus and Real Madrid, have already qualified for next season’s group stage via their league position. A group stage spot is reserved for the defending champion, but now that’s free and goes to the Europa League winner.

Clubs eliminated in the third qualifying round of the Champions League and the third-place teams at the end of the group phase are sent to the Europa League. That’s how Ajax got here, knocked off in CL qualifying by Rostov. This match takes place 22 years to the day since Ajax claimed its last major European trophy, beating Italian side AC Milan 1-0 in the 1995 Champions League final. Ajax has played in one previous Europa League final, back when it was known as UEFA Cup, beating Torino in 1992 when it was a two-leg final.

Ajax Amsterdam Player Odds

Ajax is a young team with an average age of just 22 and it plays an attacking offensive style. They have more attempts on goal (225) and on target (95) than any other team in this season’s tournament. Kasper Dolberg leads Ajax with six goals. Dolberg is a +263 favourite on his side to be an anytime goalscorer.

This match means much more to Manchester United because it finished a disappointing sixth in the Premier League table and thus only has this path to the Champions League. It’s the first Europa League final for Man U but the second straight year a Premier League side has reached the final as Liverpool lost in 2016 to Sevilla, which won its third straight Europa League title. United is in its first major European final since losing in the 2011 Champions League 3-1 to Barcelona.

Manchester United Player Odds

Man U has attempted (7,582) and completed (6,702) the most passes in this season’s tournament. The Red Devils are led in scoring in this event by Zlatan Ibrahimović and Henrikh Mkhitaryan with five goals each. However, Ibrahimović suffered a season-ending injury a while back. He is one of the greatest Swedish players in history, played with Ajax from 2001-04 and won two Eredivisie titles and a Dutch Cup. The favoured anytime goalscorer for United is Marcus Rashford at +153. He is tied for second in the club with 11 goals in all competitions. Ibrahimović led with 28. Key centre-back Eric Bailly is suspended for this match.

Both teams have a common opponent this season in Feyenoord Rotterdam. Manchester United was 1-1 against that club in the Europa League, losing 1-0 in the Netherlands on Sept. 15 in the tournament opener and winning 4-0 in England on Nov. 24. Ajax drew 1-1 with Feyenoord on Oct. 23 and won 2-1 on April 2. Ajax and Man U. have faced off four times in European competitions and each side has two wins. They last played in 2012 in the Europa League.

United is looking to join an exclusive club that includes Ajax in sweeping the major UEFA trophies: Champions League, UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup and Europa League.

Manchester United vs. Ajax Predictions

Recent form clearly points to United here as it is unbeaten in its past 10 European games (7W, 3D). Ajax, meanwhile, is winless in its past six European games away from home (3L, 3D).

It also would appear to be a coaching mismatch. United coach José Mourinho has won all three major UEFA finals and has a record of 11 wins in 13 career finals. He also faced Ajax six times as Real Madrid’s and won all six by an aggregate score of 20–2. Ajax boss Peter Bosz is in his first major European final.

Manchester United completes its European trophy set with a 1-0 win, which is priced at +477 on the exact score prop.