Amsterdam’s Ajax Football Club continues to spiral with a recent league loss and a managerial change, heading into a critical UEFA Champions League clash against Benfica with both teams at zero points.
The Dutch football giants suffered a 2-1 defeat to Utrecht on Sunday in the 12th round of the Eredivisie.
This marks only one victory for Ajax in their last eight matches across all competitions. The team currently sits in fourth place in the Dutch league, eight points behind co-leaders PSV and Feyenoord.
Interim coach Fred Grim recently took the helm. He replaced John Heitinga, who was dismissed after Ajax’s 3-0 Champions League defeat to Galatasaray on Wednesday.
The struggling club faces Benfica in a pivotal Champions League match on November 25 at the Johann Cruyff Arena. The match is scheduled for 17:45 UTC.
Both Ajax and Benfica are at the bottom of their Champions League league phase group. Neither team has secured any points in the competition so far.
In Sunday’s league loss, Utrecht’s goals were scored by Matisse Didden and Sébastien Haller. Haller is a former Ajax player. Ajax’s lone goal came from Mika Godts.
Utrecht’s victory followed a 1-1 draw against FC Porto in the Europa League a few days earlier.