More than half a century after meeting Inter Milan in the 1972 European Cup final, Ajax begin their 2025-26 UEFA Champions League campaign against last season’s runners-up in what looks like a demanding opener.
Ajax have started the Eredivisie unbeaten with three wins and two draws, yet the four-time European Cup and Champions League winners still have much to prove in Europe. Since their run to the 2018-19 semi-finals, they have progressed beyond the group or league phase only once in four attempts. The Lancers have won on match day one in four of their last five Champions League campaigns, and extending that trend would be an ideal launch for head coach John Heitinga, who becomes the fifth person to both play for and manage Ajax in Europe’s top competition.
Across the technical area, Heitinga’s former Ajax teammate Cristian Chivu is already under pressure at Inter after back to back defeats, including a 4 3 reverse to Juventus in the Derby d’Italia on Saturday, a match they led until the final ten minutes. Chivu inherits high expectations after Simone Inzaghi guided the Nerazzurri to two Champions League finals in the last three seasons. Defensive frailties are a concern after the Juventus loss, and Inter’s recent European record shows issues at the back, with thirteen goals conceded across their last four Champions League matches.
History offers little comfort for Ajax. They are winless in the last four meetings with Inter, drawing one and losing three, and they have failed to win their last thirteen home UEFA matches against Italian opponents. Inter are unbeaten in their previous thirteen UEFA fixtures against Dutch clubs, winning nine and drawing four.
Early goals have been a feature of Ajax’s season, with the opening strike arriving inside twenty minutes in four of their five competitive matches. Goal-heavy contests are also common for the Dutch side, with eight of their last twelve Champions League games producing over three and a half goals. Inter’s league or group phase record provides a counterpoint, with eight clean sheets in their last nine matches at that stage, though seven of Inter’s last nine Champions League goals scored or conceded have arrived on or after the sixtieth minute.
Kenneth Taylor has a single assist in five competitive outings this term but often influences games after the break. Four of his six European goals last season came in the second half. For Inter, Lautaro Martinez has begun quietly with one goal and one assist in three club appearances, yet he tends to strike early in Europe, with five of his last eight Champions League goals arriving before half-time.
Branco van den Boomen remains Ajax’s only significant absentee, while Inter report no new injury concerns.
Given the attacking trends and recent defensive lapses, a scenario in which both teams score, with the match producing over 2.5 total goals, appears plausible.
