The second leg of the 2024/25 Europa League Round of 16 between Eintracht Frankfurt (Germany) and Ajax (Netherlands) will take place on March 13 at the Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt. The score of the first match was 2-1 in favor of Eintracht. Eintracht vs. Ajax: prediction and statistics.
Eintracht
Dino Toppmöller's side achieved a come-from-behind victory with a 2-1 scoreline in the first match. This marked their sixth win in the last eight Europa League encounters (2 losses). In the return leg, the team only needs to avoid defeat, and they remain unbeaten at home in this tournament's current edition. Notably, the Germans have progressed from the Round of 16 in two of the last three occasions in this European competition.
- In 4 of their last 5 Europa League games, Frankfurt scored at least two goals.
- The club remains unbeaten at home in the Europa League for 10 matches (5 wins, 5 draws).
- Eintracht has not conceded more than one goal in 6 of their last 7 home matches in this tournament.
Predicted lineup for Eintracht (4-4-2)
Kevin Trapp – Arthur Theate, Rasmus Kristensen, Tuta, Nnamdi Collins – Ellyes Skhiri, Hugo Larsson, Ansgar Knauff, Mario Götze – Jean-Matteo Bahoya, Hugo Ekitike.
Defender Robin Koch is injured. Fellow defender Nnamdi Collins will miss the match due to suspension.
Ajax
The defeat in the first match was the fifth in seven previous Europa League encounters for the Dutch side (2 wins). To advance to the next round, Francesco Farioli's team needs to win the return leg by at least two goals. Notably, 3 of the club's last 4 Europa League victories were achieved with the necessary goal difference. If Ajax wins by a minimal margin, extra time will follow. Additionally, with 20 goals scored, the Dutch are the fifth highest-scoring team in this tournament edition.
- Ajax conceded in 6 of their last 7 Europa League matches.
- The club has not lost in 6 of their last 8 away matches in this European competition (5 wins, 1 draw).
- At least one opponent failed to score in 5 of Ajax's last 7 away games in the Europa League.
Predicted lineup for Ajax (4-3-3)
Remko Pasveer – Josip Sutalo, Jurriën Timber, Jorrel Hato, Anton Goy – Kenneth Taylor, Jorrit Hendrix, Jordan Henderson – Brian Brobbey, Bertrand Traoré, Mika Godts.
Forward Wout Weghorst and midfielders Jurriën Regeer, Christian Rasmussen are injured. Midfielder Jordan Henderson is suspended.
Referee
Irfan Peljto (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Matches – 11 (International matches, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 45;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.1;
Red cards shown – 4;
Average fouls per match – 22;
Penalties – 64%.
Match Prediction: Eintracht vs. Ajax
The Dutch face a very tough task. No team in the current Europa League edition has won at Deutsche Bank Park. Moreover, Frankfurt remains unbeaten at home in 10 consecutive Europa League matches (5 wins, 5 draws). Meanwhile, Ajax's recent results do not inspire optimism for their fans: the club has lost 5 of their last 7 matches in this second-tier European competition. Furthermore, the last time the Dutch defeated an opponent from the top-5 European leagues in an away playoff game in this tournament was in 2021.
Nevertheless, Francesco Farioli's team is unlikely to give up. They need to score, and Ajax has been doing so regularly, finding the net in 7 of their last 9 away Europa League matches. However, they have also failed to keep a clean sheet in 6 matches during this stretch. Frankfurt, scoring in 10 consecutive home matches in the Europa League, will find opportunities to trouble their opponent.
My prediction: Eintracht will not lose and Total Over 1.5 goals
