This is the third midweek of action in UEFA’s elite campaign and the Blues will want to build on last month’s home win against Benfica and draw closer to the top eight in the league phase table.

Notably, this is Chelsea’s 200th match in the competition proper – and the 250th for the Sons of the Gods. The last time this fixture was played, in November 2019, the spoils were shared in an eight-goal epic.

The Netherlands’ most storied club are winless and goalless in Europe this season, after opening with a home defeat to Inter and suffering a 4-0 mauling in Marseille – their fifth loss in a row in Europe.

The 36-time Eredivisie winners have not claimed a title since Erik ten Hag left the club in 2022, missing out by one point last season.

And on Saturday, Ajax were beaten 2-0 at the Johan Cruyff Arena by AZ Alkmaar; it was their first domestic loss under new coach Johnny Heitinga. They now lie nine points behind league leaders Feyenoord.

Chelsea, meanwhile, blew away hosts Nottingham Forest 3-0 at the weekend, Josh Acheampong headed home his first senior goal, while Pedro Neto and Reece James each scored and assisted.

The Club World Cup champions have won 16 and lost just one of our past 24 group/league stage matches at Stamford Bridge in this competition. We have scored in 17 straight European games since 2023.

Chelsea team news

Enzo Fernandez was absent for the weekend victory at the City Ground, and head coach Enzo Maresca confirmed the Argentine's availability would be decided after yesterday's training session at Cobham.

‘Enzo took part in the session yesterday (Monday),’ Maresca explained during his pre-match press conference at Stamford Bridge. ‘We have one more session and then we will decide what we will do with him [against Ajax].'

Benoit Badiashile, Levi Colwill, Cole Palmer and Liam Delap are ruled out, although Maresca has confirmed the latter is closing in on a return to training.

Joao Pedro is suspended due to the red card he received against Benfica, which will mean a change in attack for the Blues.

‘We have Marc [Guiu] and we have also Tyrique [George], who has played games as a nine in the past; he did very well previously playing in that role, such as against Benfica,' Maresca responded when asked who could lead the line against Ajax.

‘We trust Marc. We trusted him already last year and he was always playing and training with confidence. We gave him some Premier League minutes, which shows we trust Marc.

'Now he’s with us [following his loan recall] and he’s going to play games for us, for sure.’

Champions League regulations

Each of the 36 participating clubs plays eight different opponents in the initial league stage and their standings appear on a single table.

Teams finishing in the top eight qualify directly for the round of 16, while eight of those in ninth to 24th place can join them via two-legged play-off games in February. Those placed 25th or lower exit the competition.

We stand 18th in the Champions League table while the Amsterdam side are 35th – one from bottom.

Last season, 16 points sufficed for Aston Villa to finish eighth, while Bruges qualified for the play-offs in 24th place with 11.

Chelsea and Dutch clubs – the history

Chelsea won one of our European trophies, the Europa League, at Ajax’s home ground in 2013, and have emerged unbeaten from six previous meetings with Dutch sides.

Those sides were DWS in the 1968/69 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup (two 0-0 draws), 1999/00 second group stage opponents Feyenoord (two 3-1 wins), and tonight’s opponents, who were Group H rivals in 2019/20.

Michy Batshuayi’s late winner secured all three points in Amsterdam on 23 October, but the return in London was very different.

In one of the most chaotic contests ever witnessed at a raucous Stamford Bridge, the Blues stormed back from 4-1 down to draw 4-4 and all but win the game.

Jorginho’s penalty was all the Blues had to show for an hour of a tit-for-tat trading of blows. Then Cesar Azpilicueta tapped in for a second and the tails-up Blues constantly threatened Andre Onana’s goal.

When under-pressure Ajax players Daley Blind and Nicolas Tagliafico were sent off in two minutes of madness, the momentum shifted irresistibly.

Almost immediately, Jorginho converted the resulting second penalty and with a quarter-hour still to play Reece James drilled in the equaliser.

Azpilicueta thought he had won it with a late strike but the winner was harshly denied for handball.

Know this…

Until the advent of the Conference League in 2021/22, Chelsea and Ajax were two of just five clubs, alongside Bayern, Juventus and Man United, to have won all three major UEFA titles. The Blues, current holders of that fourth crown, are now out on our own.

Chelsea (24.6 years) and the Sons of Gods (25.2) have used the fifth and seventh youngest sets of players in the Champions League. Our most youthful ever took the field against Benfica in the previous round.

During the last international break, the Netherlands fielded a team without a player from any Eredivisie club for the fifth time in 2025 and tenth ever.

Following Benfica’s contribution on matchday two, Chelsea have benefited from 14 own goals in Champions League campaigns. Only Bayern (18), Real Madrid (19) and Barcelona (20) have recorded more.

On 22 October 1938, the ‘Rest Of Europe’ squad prepared to play England a few days later at Highbury - as part of the FA’s 75th anniversary celebrations - by training on the Stamford Bridge pitch. No Netherlands players made the cut.