Ajax vs FC Midtjylland: Form, Key Players and Match Prediction
Ajax continue their UEFA Conference League campaign with a demanding trip to Denmark, where they will face FC Midtjylland in the third round of league-phase fixtures. The Amsterdam club arrive in good spirits after earning a 2-0 victory over Atalanta and maintaining a strong position in the Vriendenloterij Eredivisie. Their hosts, meanwhile, have built an intriguing contrast: Midtjylland are flying domestically but have yet to find their rhythm in Europe.
The fixture offers Ajax a chance to strengthen their European campaign, but it is unlikely to be a straightforward assignment. Midtjylland are the current Superligaen leaders, play with considerable intensity and have a home crowd behind them at the MCH Arena. Here is a closer look at the Danish side, the connections between the clubs and what could shape Thursday’s football prediction.
Midtjylland’s European struggles contrast with domestic success
Midtjylland have collected only one point from their opening two Conference League matches. They drew 1-1 with Albania’s Egnatia before losing 2-1 at home to Belgium’s Sint-Truiden. That result means their first win in this season’s competition remains a priority, particularly with Ajax arriving in confident form.
Their domestic performances tell a very different story. Mike Tullberg’s team lead the Danish Superligaen with 31 points from 12 matches, having won nine times. FC Copenhagen, one of the traditional favourites for the title, sit five points behind. Midtjylland’s league position suggests that their European results should not be taken as a complete measure of their quality. They have shown they can control matches and punish opponents who allow them space.
Major summer departures reshaped the squad
Midtjylland’s impressive league campaign has come despite losing several important players during the summer transfer window. Forward Franculino and winger Aral Simsir moved to Trabzonspor in a combined deal worth around €35 million. Their departure removed more than 30 goals, as well as a significant supply of assists, from the team.
The club also sold centre-back Han-beom Lee to Club Brugge for approximately €9 million and goal-scoring midfielder Valdemar Byskov to AZ for around €6 million. Winger Dario Osorio joined Crystal Palace on loan, with the Premier League club holding an option to make the move permanent for a reported €32 million.
Rather than relying on one-for-one replacements, Midtjylland added depth across several positions. Former Ajax defender Rasmus Kristensen arrived from Eintracht Frankfurt for around €6 million and has become an important figure in the squad. The Danish club also invested more than €7 million in Venezuelan winger David Martínez, who joined from Los Angeles FC.
Midfielder Kjell Wätjen moved from Borussia Dortmund, while Dutch goalkeeper Nordin Bakker joined from sc Heerenveen. Forwards Friday Etim and Mileta Rajkovic have also strengthened the attacking options, with Rajkovic arriving on loan from Legia Warsaw. The new arrivals have helped the team remain competitive despite the scale of the summer sales.
Mike Tullberg brings energy and a high-pressing approach
Head coach Mike Tullberg has played a central role in Midtjylland’s strong domestic form. The 40-year-old began his coaching career after a modest playing spell that ended at Rot-Weiss Oberhausen in 2011. He joined Borussia Dortmund in 2019, working with the club’s second team and under-19s before briefly taking charge of the senior side as interim coach in early 2025.
After leaving Dortmund at the end of the 2024/25 season, Tullberg was appointed by Midtjylland. His team had challenged for the Danish title for much of the previous campaign, eventually finishing behind champions Aarhus GF. They did, however, win the Danish Cup, beating favourites FC Copenhagen 1-0 in the final thanks to an 82nd-minute goal from Han-beom Lee. Midtjylland had also finished third in the Europa League league phase before Nottingham Forest eliminated them in the round of 16.
Tullberg is an animated presence on the touchline and has collected nine yellow cards for his behaviour during the 2025/26 season. His approach demands energy, aggression and commitment. Midtjylland press high, try to take the initiative and can be dangerous when they win the ball and break quickly. That ambition can also leave space behind their defensive line, giving Ajax an opportunity to exploit quick transitions and well-timed runs.
Ajax connections run through the Midtjylland squad
The clubs have crossed paths in more ways than their European meetings. Midtjylland signed former Ajax star Rafael van der Vaart in 2016, though the move did not produce the on-field impact many had hoped for. Fitness issues limited his involvement, and he made only 20 appearances. The Danish club nevertheless valued his commercial profile and his influence as a mentor to younger players.
There are also more direct links between the current squads. Viktor Fischer spent time in Midtjylland’s youth system before joining Ajax in 2011. Kristensen followed the opposite route, leaving Midtjylland for Amsterdam before later moving to Red Bull Salzburg. He has spoken positively about his Ajax experience, describing the decision to join the Dutch club as the best of his life.
Another Dutch connection is goalkeeper Nordin Bakker. He has stepped into the starting role after an injury to first-choice keeper Elías Ólafsson and has made the opportunity count. Bakker has played eight matches, including Midtjylland’s 2-1 victory over FC Copenhagen. His familiarity with Dutch football, along with his recent run of games, makes him a likely starter against Ajax.
A young club with growing European ambitions
Founded in 1999 through the merger of Ikast FS and Herning Fremad, Midtjylland are relatively young compared with many established European clubs. They initially played in Ikast before moving to Herning in 2004. After several second-place finishes in the league, they won their first Danish championship in 2015—just 16 years after their formation.
Since then, Midtjylland have become regular participants in European competition and have developed an international squad featuring players from countries including Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Colombia, Germany, the Netherlands, Japan and England. Their rapid rise reflects a club that combines domestic ambition with a willingness to recruit widely and invest in its future.
Head-to-head record and match prediction
Thursday’s match will be only the third meeting between Ajax and Midtjylland. Their previous encounters came in the 2020/21 season, when Ajax won 2-1 in Denmark and followed up with a 3-1 home victory. Antony and Dusan Tadic scored in the first match, while Ryan Gravenberch, Noussair Mazraoui and David Neres were on target in the second. Midtjylland have yet to beat Ajax.
The Danish side’s home advantage and commanding league form make them a serious test, particularly if they can press Ajax effectively and turn possession gains into counter-attacks. However, Ajax have the stronger recent European result and possess the attacking quality to take advantage of Midtjylland’s high defensive line.
Football prediction: Expect an energetic, open contest rather than a cautious stalemate. Midtjylland should create chances at home, but Ajax’s European experience and ability to attack space could prove decisive. A narrow Ajax win is a reasonable prediction, although the hosts’ domestic form makes a draw a credible alternative.
Predicted FC Midtjylland line-up
Bakker; Maxsø, Diao, Bech; Kristensen, Bravo, Hyun-seok, Wätjen, Bak; Emefile, Rajović.
