Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the UEFA Europa League match
The historic penalty shootout in the second leg between Ajax and Panathinaikos (2:1 on aggregate) will give the Dutch club a morale boost for the final stages of qualification. The team will handle Jagiellonia, who are experiencing a minor crisis with three consecutive defeats across all competitions.
Jagiellonia Białystok
The intense pressing from Bodø/Glimt (5:1 on aggregate) proved too much for Jagiellonia. In Norway, the Polish side even led after a Patrick Berg’s own goal, but then conceded four consecutive goals, facing a total of 18 shots on target. These international struggles reflected in their domestic performance: they faltered against Cracovia (2:4), conceding four times with 1.59 xG.
Ajax
At home, Ajax did not deserve to lose to Panathinaikos in regular time, especially as their attacking dominance was evident over 120 minutes (20 shots to 10). On Sunday, despite not being in top physical condition, the Amsterdam side were still more dangerous than Breda (1.18 xG against 0.76 and 16 shots to 6), with a late mistake by an inexperienced defence being just a minor exception in Francesco Farioli's solid debut.
Jagiellonia Białystok - Ajax Prediction
Even without injured players Christian Rasmussen, Amourricho Dongen, and Owen Wijndal, Ajax's squad remains highly versatile. On Jagiellonia’s field, they will secure a win that will help them advance to the Europa League group stage.
