Ajax dream of first European trophy in 30 years before Midtjylland clash, says Dutch expert

Ajax will face FC Midtjylland Thursday night in Denmark for Matchday 3 of the UEFA Conference League. After a chaotic Matchday 1 defeat to Hajduk Split, Ajax bounced back with a confident 2–0 win over Atalanta on Matchday 2 in Amsterdam.

After four successive wins following the embarrassment in Croatia, Michel Sanchez's outfit travels to Denmark with plenty of confidence. However, Ajax remain a work in progress after a chaotic 2025–26 campaign in which a revolving door of managers, including John Heitinga, Fred Grim, and finally Oscar Garcia, stumbled to a disappointing 5th-place finish in the Eredivisie and a dismal 32nd in the Champions League league phase. 

FC Midtjylland - Ajax - Win probabilityFlashscore

The team is also nowhere near the great Ten Hag teams, like the unbelievable 2018/19 squad which had a true identity, says Paul Winters.

"Today's Ajax squad isn't necessarily made from scraps, but nearly all of them are players that have been in Amsterdam for a year at most. There are some great players like Julian Brandt, Marc ter Stegen, and Tolu Arokodare, but most will be gone soon. Nobody expects Brandt to stay for very long since he's simply way too good for the Eredivisie and Ter Stegen is a loanee."

"Technical director Jordi Cruyff's first goal was to create quick stability and to transform the team after the worst season in recent history. There had to be a quickly built foundation to help the team on their way in European competitions and in the league, also from a financial viewpoint."

Coached by Mike Tullberg, the Danish "Wolves" are currently flying high domestically, sitting two points clear at the top of the Danish Superliga. However, their European form has lagged, picking up only one point from their first two matches (a 1–1 draw with Egnatia and a 2–1 loss to Sint-Truiden).

Historically, Ajax hold the upper hand, having won both previous encounters against Midtjylland during the 2020/21 European campaign. And the Danes could be in trouble again as "Sanchez has largely adapted well to opponents", says Paul Winters. 

"Opposing teams need to be clinical in defence, with Ajax creating a lot of chances this season. The team doesn't play in the typical Ajax way, though there's one aspect of their game that's ever present - playing with space at the back. When Ajax are in possession, you won't see many players that keep a low line", says Winters as the hosts might attempt to expose Ajax's attacking-minded tactics. 

While the Conference League doesn't have the same prestige as the Champions League or the Europa League, it still plays a vital part in Ajax's season, Winters emphasises. This became evident when Sanchez was regarded as in danger of losing his job after a disastrous night in Croatia on matchday one.

Michel Sanchez has a tough job job on his hands trying to steer Ajax to European successCredit: Ed van de Pol / DeFodi Images / Profimedia

"There is pressure on an Ajax coach to perform in whichever European competition they're in, and with Ajax arguably the biggest club on paper in the Conference League, there's a tangible sense of hope in the air about potentially winning the first European cup in 30 years."

It's been a while since Danish sides recorded positive results in the European club competition that has gained worldwide recognition, and in Amsterdam, FC Midtjylland isn't held in high regard despite their position at the top of the Danish table. 

"The Danish competition isn't super highly regarded in the Netherlands, and most football fans see it as a talent factory like the Eredivisie.

"FC Midtjylland are recognised for the talents we know they produce and their data-driven approach", says Paul Winters, but otherwise the Danes remain largely unknown given their limited history.

Ajax will be handicapped by the absence of Julian Brandt, Sofyan Amrabat, Kasper Dolberg and Anton Gaaei in Denmark, while the home side will be without Martin Erlic, Magnus Jensen, David Martinez and Elias Olafsson.

FC Midtjylland and Ajax kick off at 18.45 at the MCH Arena on Thursday night.