Ajax host PSV on Saturday in the first big clash of the Vriendenloterij Eredivisie. Coach Míchel seems to have few surprises up his sleeve, Voetbalzone predicts. Ajax v PSV kicks off at 20:00 and will be shown live on ESPN 1.
Marc-André ter Stegen starts in goal at the Johan Cruijff ArenA. Lucas Rosa gets the nod at right-back, while Caio Henrique fills in on the left. Aaron Bouwman and Youri Baas again make up the heart of the Amsterdam defence. Thilo Kehrer, signed this week, starts on the bench.
Amrabat starts immediately
Sofyan Amrabat, presented last week, is expected to start against PSV. Jorthy Mokio has brought control and balance to the Ajax midfield in recent weeks, but now drops out. Davy Klaassen adds experience and running power, with Julian Brandt supplying the creativity.
Up front, Míchel keeps faith with his regular names, with Steven Berghuis on the right. Abdellah Ouazane starts on the left, while the 1.97-metre-tall Tolu Arokodare leads the line as the central striker and target man against PSV.
The Spanish coach also has Oscar Gloukh and Viktor Tsygankov available in attack, with the latter having still been absent against Telstar. Rayane Bounida and Simon Adringa are unavailable through injury.
Ajax head into the game on the back of a 4-0 win over Telstar. That leaves the Amsterdam club fourth, three points behind second-placed PSV, who hammered FC Utrecht 6-1.
Expected Ajax line-up (4-3-3): Ter Stegen; Rosa, Bouwman, Baas, Caio Henrique; Amrabat, Klaassen, Brandt; Berghuis, Tolu, Ouazane.