Ajax continues the hunt for European success on Thursday with a home game against AS Roma in the quarter finals of the Europa League. The draw could have been easier for Ajax, but also more difficult. The Amsterdam club met the Romans once before in a European campaign, in the second group stage of the Champions League in the 2002/03 season. At the time, they won 2-1 at home and drawn 1-1 in the Stadio Olimpico. Those are results that trainer Erik ten Hag would undoubtedly sign for. In collaboration with TOTO, we look ahead to the final game between Ajax and Roma.
Ajax is in great shape, witness the unbeaten run of 24 duels in all competitions, the longest run for Ajax since 1995 (42 duels in a row at the time). The Ten Hag team is also doing well in the Europa League. In the previous two rounds successively Lille OSC and Young Boys were convincingly put aside. Together with Villarreal and Roma, Ajax is the only team that won all four knockout duels this Europa League season. The past with Italian teams also offers a lot of hope for Ajax. Ajax won four of the last five diptychs with Italian clubs in the knockout phase of the UEFA Cup / Europa League, but were eliminated by Juventus the last time, in February 2010.
Do you think Ajax will triumph in the first duel with Roma? View the odds for a victory for Ajax here.
For Ajax, it is hoped that Roma will showcase the form from Serie A, in which the last three matches were not won (once drawn and twice lost). A stark contrast to the European form, as coach Paulo Fonseca’s team has won eight of the last ten matches (one draw and one defeat) in the current Europa League campaign. The last four games were all won. Twice the Romans achieved a longer winning streak in Europe (six in 1964 and five in 1991). In addition, Roma managed to score in each of the last twelve European away matches, something that again can be decisive for a place in the semi-finals.
Do you think Roma will score against Ajax? View the odds for a goal by Roma here.
It is starting to become a repetitive story, but Dusan Tadic proves time and again to be the absolute star player in Ajax’s success series. In the current European season, he shows that he can keep up with the very best in terms of offensive returns. The Serbian forward has already been involved in nine goals in the two European main tournaments (five goals, four assists). Only the Norwegian glutton Erling Braut Haaland of Borussia Dortmund has to put up with ten goals and an assist. In all four knockout duels, Tadic was involved in a goal in the current season in the Europa League (three hits, one assist), something that only Villarreal striker Gerard Moreno and upcoming opponent Borja Mayoral can tell him after.
Do you think Dusan Tadic will score? View the odds for a goal from him here.
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