The second set of 2019/20 Champions League playoff ties will conclude on Wednesday 28th August and then we will know which teams are in the hat for the group stages. The most delicately poised tie has to be that between Ajax Amsterdam and APOEL.
The teams met in Cyprus for the first leg last week and the match ended in a 0-0 draw. Ajax will be pleased to have kept the tie level before the home leg but at the same time, APOEL will be happy they did not concede an away goal.
Ajax have played six competitive games this season, three of which have come in the Champions League and remained undefeated. They entered the Champions League in the third qualifying round and were drawn with PAOK of Greece. It was a tough draw but Ajax held PAOK to a 2-2 draw away from home and then completed the job with a 3-2 win at the Johan Cruijff Arena.
The other three matches have come in the Dutch league and Ajax have won two and drawn one. They did not play a domestic league fixture on the weekend.
Trends show Ajax found wins hard to come by at home in the Champions League last season, despite reaching the semi-final. They defeated Sturm Graz, Standard Liege, Dynamo Kiev, AEK Athens and Benfica but then failed to win another game. They lost to Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur and were held by Bayern Munich and Juventus.
Both teams have scored in each of Ajax’s last five home Champions League games.
APOEL entered the Champions League at the second qualifying round and won Sutjeska 1-0 away from home before beating them 3-0 in Nicosia. The third round of qualifying paired them with Qarabag and despite losing the home leg of the tie 2-1, APOEL produced a great performance to win 2-0 away from home and progress to the playoffs.
The first leg was disappointing in that they did not win but APOEL know an away goal could make things difficult for Ajax in the second leg.
APOEL have yet to play a domestic league match this season. Trends show they have won each of their last two away Champions League games but they are the only two our of the last eight. There have been defeats at Viitorul, Real Madrid, Tottenham Hotspur and Suduva.
APOEL have scored at least once in four of their last five away Champions League games.
Team news and Ajax have doubts over four players. Carel Eiting has a knee problem while Donny van de Beek has a hamstring injury. Quincy Promes and Hassane Bandé hope to be available.
APOEL have no injury or suspension concerns ahead of this game. They are likely to keep the same starting XI from the first leg, with Andrija Pavlovic and Uro Matic in attack.
Despite the first leg ending 0-0, we expect to see goals in this game. Ajax have the home advantage and should come through to win but not without a scare from APOEL, who could get an away goal.
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