Ajaxvs.Union SG

The winners of this contest on aggregate will face either 2022 winners Eintracht Frankfurt or Lyon in the last 16.

Match preview

After finishing 12th in the 36-team Europa League table, Ajax have put themselves in a strong position to reach the last 16 for the first time in four years after beating Union SG 2-0 in the first leg of their playoff tie last week.

The Dutch giants were made to weather an early storm from Union SG and breathed a sigh of relief when two first-half goals from the hosts were disallowed. The tight contest shifted into Ajax's favour after the break, though, and goals from Christian Rasmussen and 16-year-old Jorthy Mokio helped them to prevail in Brussels.

It was a much-needed European triumph for Francesco Farioli's side, who had previously won just one of their last 10 knockout matches in Europe, and they have since followed that up with a thumping 4-0 home win over Heracles on Sunday to climb two points clear at the Eredivisie summit.

Ajax have now won each of their last five matches in all competitions, scoring two or more goals on each occasion, and they will endeavour to claim three consecutive European victories for the first time since March 2021 (a run of five) when they face Union SG on Thursday.

De Godenzonen will back themselves to finish the job in the second leg and beat Union SG in front of their own fans, as they have won seven of their last eight home encounters with Belgian opposition in all European competitions, with the exception being a 3-1 defeat to Anderlecht in December 2009.

Union SG were hoping to bounce back from last week's first-leg loss to Ajax when they faced relegation-threatened Mechelen in the Belgian Pro League on Sunday, but they fell to a second successive home defeat without scoring, losing 1-0.

Les Unionistes had previously gone 13 games without defeat in the Belgian top flight, but it was not their day in front of goal as they failed to score with any of their nine attempts on target, while Promise David hit the crossbar and Anouar Ait El Hadj missed a sitter in the second half.

Union SG remain third in the table, but they have slipped six points behind Club Brugge in second and 14 points behind leaders Genk with just four games of the regular season remaining. Before facing fourth-placed Anderlecht on Sunday, Les Unionistes will bid to preserve their place in this season's Europa League.

While head coach Sebastien Pocognoli has not abandoned hope of overturning a two-goal deficit, the 37-year-old former West Brom and Brighton defender has admitted that his Union SG side "will need to be perfect" against Ajax if they wish to progress to the last 16.

Union SG have progressed from just one of their last seven European ties when losing the first leg, while defeat on Thursday would see them lose three Europa League matches in a row in the same season for the first time.

Ajax Europa League form:

W

L

L

L

W

W

Ajax form (all competitions):

L

W

W

W

W

W

Union SG Europa League form:

D

W

W

W

L

L

Union SG form (all competitions):

W

L

W

W

L

L

Team News

Ajax will be without Jordan Henderson (hamstring), Wout Weghorst (broken toe), Branco van den Boomen (back) and Youri Regeer (ankle) due to injury, while Kenneth Taylor (illness) and Owen Wijndal (knock) will be assessed ahead of kickoff.

Davy Klaassen scored his 100th goal for Ajax last weekend and is in contention to start in midfield with Jorthy Mokio, who at the age of just 16 years and 350 days became Ajax's youngest goalscorer in European competition in last week's first leg, overtaking Rafael van der Vaart (17 years, 214 days).

Brian Brobbey was also on the scoresheet last weekend and will hope to retain his place up front, as Christian Rasmussen, Oliver Valaker Edvardsen, Bertrand Traore and Mika Godts all battle for starts on the flanks.

As for Union SG, Alessio Castro-Montes (muscle) and Kamiel Van De Perre (hamstring) remain sidelined with injuries, but Ross Sykes is available to return after missing the first leg through suspension.

Sykes and fellow Englishman Christian Burgess could both be recalled to start in defence alongside Fedde Leysen, while Pocognoli will weigh up whether to keep Kevin Mac Allister at right wing-back or restore Anan Khalaili to the first XI.

Franjo Ivanovic is Union SG's top scorer this season with 14 goals, while Promise David has found the net 12 times thus far, and both players are set to start in attack with either Ait El Hadj or Mohammed Fuseini.

Ajax possible starting lineup:

Pasveer; Rosa, Rugani, Baas, Hato; Mokio, Klaassen, Fitz-Jim; Traore, Brobbey, Edvardsen

Union SG possible starting lineup:

Moris; Mac Allister, Burgess, Leysen; Khalaili, Vanhoutte, Sadiki, Niang; Fuseini, Promise; Ivanovic

We say: Ajax 2-1 Union SG (Ajax to win 4-1 on aggregate)

Written by

Oliver Thomas

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