Champions League Matchday 3: Chelsea vs Ajax facts

Chelsea will look to make it successive UEFA Champions League victories as they welcome an Ajax side still seeking their first point or goal in the 2025/26 league phase.

Last match

The teams' only previous matches were in the 2019/20 group stage when a 1-0 win for Chelsea in Amsterdam was followed by a 4-4 draw in London in which Reece James scored the equaliser and Ajax ended with nine players.

Chelsea are unbeaten in their four matches against Dutch teams (W3 D1), beating Feyenoord 3-1 both home and away in the 1999/2000 second group stage.

Ajax are without a win in 11 games against English teams (D2 L9), since a 1-0 victory at Tottenham in the 2018/19 semi-final first leg – a tie they lost on away goals after going down 2-3 at home.

The Dutch club have not scored in their last five games against Premier League opponents, conceding 11.

Chelsea

This is Chelsea's 20th Champions League campaign, and a first since 2022/23, when they progressed to the quarter-finals – they have reached the knockout rounds in their last eight campaigns.

Enzo Maresca's side won the UEFA Conference League in 2024/25, beating Real Betis 4-1 in the final.

Ajax

This is Ajax's 19th appearance in the Champions League proper – a Dutch record they share with PSV Eindhoven – and a first since 2022/23.

The Amsterdammers were 12th in the league phase of the 2024/25 UEFA Europa League, eventually losing to Eintracht Frankfurt in the last 16 (1-2 h, 1-4 a).

Key stats

Chelsea signed defender Jorrel Hato from Ajax in the summer. The 19-year-old centre-back made 111 appearances in his three seasons in Amsterdam.

This is Chelsea's 200th match in the Champions League proper.

Chelsea have won 13 of their last 15 European matches (L2), and 11 of the last 12 in the group stage/league phase – the exception a 3-1 Matchday 1 loss at Bayern München.

The Blues have lost only two of their last 60 European group stage/league phase matches at Stamford Bridge and are unbeaten in 15 (W11 D4), beating Benfica 1-0 on Matchday 2.

Chelsea have scored in their last 17 European games.

Indeed, none of Chelsea's last 50 European fixtures has finished scoreless.

This is Ajax's 250th European Cup match.

Beaten 2-0 at home by Inter and 4-0 in Marseille this season, Ajax have lost their last five European games and six of the last seven in the Champions League group stage/league phase (W1).

The defeat at Marseille was, however, only Ajax's fourth in 20 away matches in the Champions League proper (W11 D5) – and only the second time they had failed to score in their last 23.