- 1 Sion vs Ajax: two leaky defences meet
- 2 Sion: a Super League fourth-placed side still trying to find its feet
- 3 Ajax: a fresh project that has not yet nailed the details
- 4 Conference League prediction Sion vs Ajax
- 5 First, a word on our free predictions
- 6 No commitment from us
- 7 Information changes
- 8 Your role
- 9 Responsible gambling first
- 10 Legal age
- 11 About the images…
Sion vs Ajax: two leaky defences meet 
Ajax have shipped two goals against Shelbourne on August 13, then two more against Heerenveen on August 16. Four conceded in two games for a club of that size is a bad look.
The first leg of this Conference League playoff is on Thursday, August 20, at Stade de Tourbillon. Sion host the opener, with the return set for Amsterdam on August 27.
Michel has been in charge of Ajax since the summer, after leaving Girona. The Spanish coach opened his official spell on August 9 with a 2-0 win away at PEC Zwolle.
What followed was less convincing. A 2-2 draw with Shelbourne in the third qualifying round was followed by another 2-2 in the Eredivisie, against Heerenveen, after Ajax had led 2-0.
Throwing away two-goal leads twice in four days says plenty about where this team is right now. That is the main reason Sion will fancy their chances on Thursday.
The Valais side also had to fight hard to get through. FC Noah were edged out after a 2-2 away draw and a 2-1 home win.
Four goals conceded in two games against an Armenian club: Sion’s back line does not look any more reliable than Ajax’s. Both sides score and both sides concede at a similar rate.
The league picture is very different, though. Sion were back in Super League action on July 26 with a trip to Young Boys at Wankdorf.
They finished the 2025-26 campaign in a strong fourth place. Right now, though, they sit 10th in the 2026-27 Super League table, which raises more than a few questions.
Ajax still look the stronger side over the two legs. But for this first match in Valais, the gap narrows sharply.
Sion: a Super League fourth-placed side still trying to find its feet 
Sion finished the 2025-26 season in fourth place in Super League. That result underlined the work the club had done to steady the ship.
The start of 2026-27 tells a different story. The Valais outfit are down in 10th in the overall standings at this stage.
It has not been an easy run of fixtures either: they resumed on July 26 at Young Boys, then hosted Lucerne on August 2. Two tough tests right out of the gate.
Their European run, though, has held up. FC Noah were dumped out in the third qualifying round after a 2-2 draw in Armenia and a 2-1 win at Tourbillon.
That tells you this is a side that can score home or away. Sion netted four across the tie, including two on the road.
The flip side is just as clear. Three goals conceded against the Armenian club show a defence that is still far too open.
Tourbillon is still a ground plenty of teams dislike visiting in Switzerland. The Valais stadium has built a proper reputation on European nights.
Coming into this playoff as a team sitting 10th in Super League takes some of the pressure off the home side. Nobody is exactly lining up Sion for a place in the Conference League league phase.
That lack of expectation points to a more open game from the home side. Sitting back against Ajax has rarely been a winning plan over the long haul.
Sion’s best route is to attack the gaps Ajax have been leaving over the past 10 days. The evidence is there.
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Ajax: a fresh project that has not yet nailed the details 
Michel took over Ajax this summer after his spell at Girona. His first Eredivisie match in charge ended in a 2-0 win at Zwolle on August 9.
That start suggested a smooth transition. The next two games told a very different story.
On August 13, Ajax gave up a 2-2 draw to Shelbourne in the third qualifying round of the Conference League. An Irish side holding the Dutch giants’ traditional runner-up to a draw is not something you just brush off.
On August 16, the same script played out in the league against Heerenveen. Ajax led 2-0, then let it slip.
Two two-goal leads blown in four days points more to game management issues than to a lack of threat up front. They are scoring. The structure behind them is not holding up.
A new system explains some of the imbalance. Michel is asking for a demanding positional style, and that leaves space until the automatisms bed in.
Ajax still have far more quality on paper than Sion. Over the tie, the return leg in Amsterdam will matter a lot.
The Dutch schedule, though, keeps the pressure on with league games and European qualifiers stacked together. There is not much time to sort out the defensive errors before Thursday.
Heading to Valais with those flaws leaves Ajax open to a tricky night. Sion have been scoring regularly at home since the restart.
So the most logical read is a first leg with goals at both ends. Both teams have shown they can score. Both have shown they can leak.
Probable Sion line-up: Not available at the time of publication.
Probable Ajax line-up: Not available at the time of publication.
Conference League prediction Sion vs Ajax
Our prediction: Over 2.5 goals
Ajax conceded a 2-2 draw against Shelbourne on August 13, then another 2-2 against Heerenveen on August 16, after leading 2-0 in both matches. Four goals conceded in two games, in two different competitions, is no fluke.
Sion, meanwhile, scored four and conceded three across their tie with FC Noah, including a 2-2 away draw. Both sides create chances and leave space, which makes a tight game at Tourbillon look unlikely.
This first leg should go beyond 2.5 goals.
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