Ajax Vs. Eintracht Frankfurt: Amsterdam Sepesialis Penjinak German Club

JAKARTA - Ajax will face a tough challenge in the last 16 of the Europa League when they host Eintracht Frankfurt at the Johan Cruijff Arena on Thursday night, March 6 or Friday morning WIB. This match is an important moment for both teams to go further in this competition, with Ajax looking to return to European glory and Frankfurt looking forward to repeating their success in the 2021-22 edition.

Ajax secured the spot in the last 16 after going through a tense playoff against Union Saint-Gilicoise. Francesco Farioli's side impressed in the first leg with a 2-0 win in Belgium, but in the second leg they struggled after losing a two-goal lead in 30 minutes.

The situation got worse after Davy Klaassen received a red card, forcing Ajax to play with 10 people. However, they were still able to score a decisive goal in extra time through Kenneth Taylor's penalty, ensuring their pass to the last 16.

Despite the winding journey, Ajax is currently in pretty good form. They won their last two games at the Eredivisie against Go Ahead Eagles and Almere City, which kept them firmly at the top of the standings with an eight-point lead.

The Amsterdam-based team also had an impressive record against the German team in European competitions, losing only once in their last 21 matches (17 wins, 3 draws). This gives them high confidence to face Frankfurt.

Meanwhile, Eintracht Frankfurt managed to reach the last 16 after occupying fifth place in the Europa League league phase. Of the eight matches they played, Dino Toppm\"oller's team won five wins, one draw, and two defeats. However, they came to this match with less convincing performance after suffering a landslide 0-4 defeat to Bayern Munich and 1-4 to Bayer Leverkusen in the last two Bundesliga matches.

Frankfurt has also experienced an inconsistency period since early 2025. They have only won one of the last seven matches in all competitions (3 draws, 3 losses), despite having started the year with four consecutive wins. The fact that they lost the last two away games in the league stage against Lyon and AS Roma is also a danger signal for this German club.

However, Frankfurt has experience in this competition. They have escaped six chances in the last 16 of the UEFA competition, including a dramatic victory against Real Betis on their way to winning the Europa League 2021-22. This track record is a valuable asset for them to face Ajax in Amsterdam.

The home team faced several obstacles ahead of this match. Owen Wijndal, Youri Regeer, Christian Rasmussen, and Wout Weghorst are confirmed to be absent due to injury. In addition, Davy Klaassen had to serve a suspension sentence due to the red card he received in the match against Union Saint-Grilloise.

Under the crossbar, goalkeeper Matheus, who was borrowed from Braga, was not included in the Europa League squad list, so Remko Pasveer will most likely return to the starting lineup after recovering from a back injury. Meanwhile, Kenneth Taylor, who became a hero in the playoffs, is expected to remain in midfield with Jorrel Hato and Silvano Vos.

Farioli is likely to stick with the 4-3-3 formation with Brian Brobbey leading the front line, supported by Steven Berghuis and Mika Godts on the wing. With Klaassen out, Taylor will have a bigger role in managing the game in midfield.

Frankfurt also cannot field several key players. Timothy Chandler was absent due to a thigh injury, while Igor Matanovic was not included in the Europa League squad list. Oscar Hojlund is also not registered in list A for the knockout phase, so he cannot appear in this match.

However, Frankfurt has additional strength with the presence of several new players. Michy Batshuayi, Arthur Theate, and Elye Wahi have been on the squad list and could be an option for Toppm\"oller. Theate is likely to start on the back, while Wahi is expected to make a contribution in attack with Hugo Ekitike.

In midfield, Mario Götze's presence will be key in creating opportunities for Frankfurt. He will be supported by Ellies Skhiri and Hugo Larsson, who are tasked with maintaining the balance of the game.

Ajax memiliki keuntungan sebagai tuan rumah dan didukung oleh rekor pengamah yang kuat melawan tim Jerman. Mereka juga dalam performa yang lebih baik dibanding Frankfurt, yang mengalami periode buruk dalam beberapa pekan terakhir. Meski demikian, Frankfurt memiliki pengalaman lebih besar dalam kompetisi ini dan tidak bisa dilanggantikan.

The midfield duel will be a key factor in this match. Ajax will rely on a combination of Taylor and Mokio to control the game, while Frankfurt have creative players like Götze who can provide malicious passes to the front lines.

Ajax is likely to appear more dominant in possession of the ball, but Frankfurt could potentially threaten with a quick counter-attack supported by the pace of Ekitike and Wahi. If Ajax's defense is off guard, Frankfurt could take advantage of the gap to score a very valuable away goal.

Based on the latest performance and team conditions, Ajax is predicted to win this first leg with a thin score. However, Frankfurt still has a great opportunity to turn things around in the second leg of Germany.

Ajax (4-3-3):Pasveer; Gaaei, Rugani, Baas, Hato; Fitz-Jim, Taylor, Mokio; Berghuis, Godts, Brobbey

Eintracht Frankfurt (3-5-2):Trump; Collins, Koch, Theate; Kristensen, Skhiri, Larsson, Götze, Brown; Ekitike, Wahi

Score prediction: Ajax 2-1 Eintracht Frankfurt