Ajax are due to play FC Midtjylland in the Conference League on Thursday in the third round of matches in the league phase. It will be only the third meeting between the clubs, and Midtjylland have never beaten Ajax.
Conference League results and head-to-head
Midtjylland have taken one point from their first two Conference League matches, drawing 1-1 with Egnatia and losing 2-1 at home to Sint-Truiden. They are still waiting for their first Conference League victory.
The previous meetings came in the 2020/21 season. Ajax beat Midtjylland 2-1 in Denmark on 3 November 2020 and then won 3-1 a few weeks later.
Domestic form
In the Superligaen, Midtjylland lead with 31 points from 12 matches and nine wins. GOAL says FC Copenhagen are five points behind Midtjylland in the league.
Under manager Mike Tullberg, Midtjylland took the national cup. They beat FC Copenhagen 1-0 in the final on 14 May, with Han-beom Lee scoring in the 82nd minute.
Midtjylland finished third in the Europa League league phase last season before Nottingham Forest beat them over two legs in the round of 16.
Tullberg and the goalkeeping situation
Mike Tullberg is Midtjylland's manager. GOAL says Tullberg was appointed by the Midtjylland board a few months after stepping back at Borussia Dortmund at the end of the 2024/25 season.
Tullberg received nine yellow cards for touchline behaviour in the 2025/26 season.
Rasmus Kristensen is now captain of Midtjylland. In goal, Nordin Bakker has been playing because first-choice keeper Elías Ólafsson was injured. Bakker has made eight appearances for Midtjylland, including a 2-1 win over FC Copenhagen. GOAL says Bakker looks certain to start against Ajax on Thursday.
Bakker said: "I'm really looking forward to it. I was back in the Netherlands last week, and my family and friends have talked about nothing but that match."
Links to Ajax
Midtjylland were founded on 1 July 1999 through a merger of Ikast FS and Herning Fremad.
Kristensen said: "I gave everything for Ajax and still follow the club. The decision to go from FC Midtjylland to Ajax was the best of my life."
Sporting director Claus Steinlein told Ekstra Bladet: "We are still happy with him. Firstly, for commercial reasons. Shirt sales have risen, and there has also been more media interest. In addition, Van der Vaart is a real mentor to our young players. They can all see that, as a player, he brings something extra onto the pitch."
