Ajax vs Sparta Rotterdam

Eredivisie leaders Ajax will aim to rebound from last weekend’s heavy defeat when they host Sparta Rotterdam at the Johan Cruijff ArenA on Sunday afternoon.

Despite leading the title race and showing strong form for much of the season, Ajax are now set to face one of the league’s most in-form sides.

Following PSV's commanding win away at Twente on Thursday night, Ajax will view this match as crucial to maintaining their six-point cushion over the defending champions.

However, they will need a major improvement from their last outing, where they suffered a 4-0 loss to Utrecht — their third league defeat of the season. That result not only ended a 14-game unbeaten streak in the Eredivisie but also marked their heaviest league defeat since a 6-0 thrashing by Feyenoord in May of last year.

Still, history favors Francesco Farioli's team in this clash. Ajax are unbeaten in their last 17 league encounters with Sparta Rotterdam and claimed a 2-0 victory when the sides met earlier this season in December.

Their home form also provides plenty of encouragement, with Ajax winning 12 of their 14 Eredivisie games at the Johan Cruijff ArenA (drawing the other two) and scoring two or more goals in all but two of those matches.

On the other hand, Sparta Rotterdam had a tough start to the campaign, finding themselves in the relegation zone midway through the season after winning just three of their opening 17 matches.

Ajax will be without Jordan Henderson this weekend as the English midfielder serves a one-match suspension after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season in last week’s clash with Utrecht.

The home side will also be without at least three injured players: Youri Baas (groin), Branco van den Boomen (muscle), and long-term absentee Amourricho Van Axel-Dongen (ankle).

Meanwhile, the visitors have their own concerns. Shunsuke Mito missed last week’s win over Heerenveen due to an undisclosed injury, and his availability for this match remains uncertain.

Jonathan de Guzmán, who is retiring at the end of the season, made a brief return to the bench last week but was unused. With just 35 minutes of action this campaign, he is unlikely to break into the starting lineup.