Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the UEFA Europa League match.
Panathinaikos
Unlike Ajax, Panathinaikos had pretty weak opponents in the last qualifying round. They beat Botev Plovdiv in both matches (2:1 and 4:0) and in Bulgaria, they were very efficient, scoring four goals from just five shots on target. Their manager Diego Alonso will keep this lineup, but forward Alexander Jeremejeff (3 goals in 157 minutes against Botev) won’t have as much free space this time. The opposing defenders will focus on him, and overall, the opponent is much stronger now.
Ajax
Getting to the Europa League group stage is Ajax’s main goal for new manager Francesco Farioli. In Amsterdam, they scored just once and won against Vojvodina (1:0), but in Serbia they scored three times from 10 shots (3:1). Ajax had a clear advantage in both games, the coaching staff will keep Chuba Akpom as the main striker, who works well with fast wingers Carlos Forbs and Christian Rasmussen.
Panathinaikos - Ajax Prediction
In the last Europa League qualifying round, Panathinaikos and Ajax had little trouble with their opponents. Ajax is seen as the favourite to win.
In the 2016/17 season Ajax beat Panathinaikos twice in Europa League group stage (2:1 and 2:0). The Amsterdam side needs at least a draw in Greece to improve their chances of moving forward in European competitions.
