Ajax only finished fifth in last season's Eredivisie and the four-time European Cup winners have to make do with Conference League football.
They begin their campaign on Thursday in Novi Sad against Vojvodina, who lost to Ferencvaros in Europa League qualifying and dropped into this competition.
Miroslav Tanjga's side opened their domestic league campaign with a 4-0 win over OFK Beograd.
However, they may again struggle in Europe against an Ajax side with Michel at the helm and who have added real quality to their squad with the arrivals of defender Caio Henrique and forward Marcos Leonardo.
The winner of this tie will face either Shelbourne or Nomme Kalju, and the visitors are expected to have too much for their Serbian opponents, as they look to emulate Chelsea by winning all four UEFA competitions.
Vojvodina v Ajax Tips Summary
Best Bet - Ajax to win and both teams to score @ 5/2
Alternative Bet - Mika Godts anytime goalscorer @ 11/8
Bet Builder - Mika Godts 1+ Shots on Target, Steven Berghuis 2+ Shots and Correct Score - Ajax 3-1 @ 20/1
Vojvodina v Ajax Prediction
Best Bet: Ajax to win and both teams to score @ 5/2
Ajax had a poor 2025/26, cycling through three coaches, with John Heitinga, Fred Grim and Oscar Garcia all spending time in the dugout.
Michel has been appointed, despite overseeing Girona's relegation from La Liga. However, the Spaniard has a reputation for training his teams to play attacking football and has demonstrated tactical versatility throughout his career.
The 50-year-old has a lot to sort out both on and off the field, but this competition should be a real target for a club of Ajax's pedigree with a coach who has UEFA Champions League experience.
This is an awkward tie, yet Ajax have shown decent form in pre-season, most recently beating Olympiakos 1-0.
These two met in qualifying for the Europa League in 2024/25, with the Dutch side winning both legs for a 4-1 aggregate victory.
Vojvodina's three competitive games in 2026/27 have all featured three or more goals.
They could score on Thursday, but it feels sensible to side with Ajax to make a winning start to their Conference League campaign.
Alternative Bet: Mika Godts anytime goalscorer @ 11/8
There is a chance that Ajax’s new players may take time to settle but Mika Godts came through Jong Ajax after starting out at Genk.
At 21, he is fully established in the first team and won the 2025/26 Eredivisie Talent of the Year award for his 17 goals and 13 assists in 34 matches.
Despite being linked with some of Europe's top clubs, Godts looks to be staying put this summer, and a goal in Serbia could set him up for another big campaign.
Vojvodina v Ajax Bet Builder Tip
Mika Godts 1+ Shots on Target
Steven Berghuis 2+ Shots
Correct Score - Ajax 3-1
Pays 20/1
Godts' form last season came from positive play, as he registered 80 shots in the Eredivisie and hit the target with 39 of those efforts.
A shot or more on target for the Belgian makes sense, as does looking for Steven Berghuis to have two or more attempts on Thursday.
The midfielder takes most of Ajax's free-kicks and averaged 3.25 efforts per 90 minutes last season.
This Bet Builder is completed by a correct score prediction of 3-1 to the visitors, which was the outcome when the pair last met in Novi Sad two years ago.
Learn more about how Bet Builders work in our Bet Builder guide.
Key Match Stats
Vojvodina have failed to win their last five European ties, most recently losing to Ferencvaros in the Europa League
Ajax won 4-1 on aggregate when this pair played in the second qualifying round for the 2024/25 Europa League
Vojvodina's three competitive games this season have featured three or more goals
Ajax’s Mika Godts scored 17 goals in the 2025/26 Eredivisie
The Belgian registered 39 of his 80 shots on target last season
Godts' teammate Steven Berghuis averaged 3.25 efforts per 90 minutes last term
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
