The second leg of the 2024/25 Europa League Round of 16 between Eintracht (Germany) and Ajax (Netherlands) will take place on March 13 at Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt. The first match ended 2-1 in favor of Eintracht. Eintracht vs. Ajax: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Eintracht
Dino Toppmöller's side secured a comeback 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. Additionally, the Germans have progressed past the Round of 16 in this European competition in two of the last three instances.
- In 4 of their last 5 Europa League games, Eintracht has scored at least two goals.
- At home in the Europa League, the club is unbeaten in 10 matches (5 wins, 5 draws).
- Eintracht has not conceded more than one goal in 6 of their last 7 home games 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-Matthieu Baouia, Hugo Ekitike.
Defender Robin Koch is injured. His fellow defender Nnamdi Collins will miss the match due to suspension.
Ajax
The defeat in the first leg 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 victories in the Europa League were achieved with the required margin. If Ajax wins with a minimal score difference, extra time will be needed. Additionally, the Dutch have scored 20 goals, ranking fifth in this tournament's scoring chart.
- Ajax conceded in 6 of their last 7 Europa League matches.
- Away from home, the club has not lost in 6 of their last 8 Europa League games (5 wins, 1 draw).
- At least one opponent failed to score in 5 of Ajax's last 7 away matches in the Europa League.
Predicted lineup for Ajax (4-3-3)
Remko Pasveer – Josip Sutalo, Jurrien Timber, Jorrel Hato, Anton Goei – Kenneth Taylor, Jorrit Hendrix, Jordan Henderson – Brian Brobbey, Bertrand Traore, Mika Godts.
Forward Wout Weghorst, midfielders Jurrien Timber and Christian Rasmussen are injured. Midfielder Jordan Henderson is suspended.
Eintracht vs. Ajax: Match Prediction
The Dutch face a daunting task. No team has won at Deutsche Bank Park in this Europa League campaign. Moreover, Eintracht is unbeaten at home in 10 consecutive Europa League matches (5 wins, 5 draws). Meanwhile, Ajax's recent results offer little optimism for their fans: the club has lost 5 of its last 7 matches in the second-tier European competition. The last time the Dutch defeated a top-5 European league opponent 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 regularly finds the net: the club scored in 7 of their last 9 away Europa League matches. However, they also failed to keep a clean sheet in 6 games during this stretch. Eintracht, scoring in 10 consecutive home Europa League matches, will find opportunities to trouble their opponent.
My prediction: Eintracht will not lose and Total over 1.5 goals
