Ajax take on the visitors Panathinaikos in the second leg of semifinals of EUFA Europa League qualification. First leg result: 1-0. The match will be played on Thursday, August 15th at Johan Cruijff Arena (Amsterdam).
"Ajax" were recently champions of the Netherlands under Ten Hag. Erik moved to "Manchester United," and the talented yet controversial Overmars had to be let go. As a result, the team experienced a decline that nearly turned into a disaster last season. Fortunately, Van’t Schip temporarily took over the coaching role, and after taking charge when the club was dangerously close to the relegation zone, he managed to lift the giants back to 5th place in the Eredivisie. This allowed them to compete in the Europa League this season – now under their new full-time coach, Francesco Farioli. The Italian made his debut with a hard-fought win over "Vojvodina," only securing victory with an 86th-minute goal. But in Novi Sad, they achieved a more convincing 3-1 win. Last week in Athens, they won again, though narrowly, 1-0 – now, even a draw will be enough to move forward.
| 2 x £10 Free Bet | Review | |||
| 100$-500$ for No Lose Free Bets | Review | |||
| 100% up to £200 | Review | |||
| Not available | Review |
"Panathinaikos" won't give up so easily. The "Shamrocks" had a rather mixed last season. It's important to remember that in 2023, they finished in 2nd place and just a year ago were playing in the Champions League qualifiers with some degree of success. However, they ended up only 4th in their domestic league. On the bright side, they added another trophy to their collection by winning the Greek Cup – the 20th in their history. Heading into the new season, the ambitious team has a new coach, Diego Alonso. The Uruguayan officially made his debut in the Europa League with a 2-1 home win over "Botev." Afterward, his new team crushed the Bulgarians in Plovdiv, scoring 4 unanswered goals. But then came a much tougher opponent in the form of the Dutch giants, who they lost to at home without scoring.
In 1996, at their peak, the clubs faced off in the semifinals of the European Champions Cup, with each team winning away. However, "Ajax" only conceded once in Amsterdam and then thrashed the hosts in Athens. Twenty years later, in the Europa League, the Dutch side won both matches. match The Dutch have found their form and regained confidence. Bet on them to win the return leg as well.
Prediction for the match: Ajax to win.
