Ajax make the trip to the Danish capital with both sides hoping to progress to the quarter-final of this season’s UEFA Europa League campaign. The visitors have a 2-1 lead heading into the second leg after beating the Dutch giants at home in the first leg. Ajax will be confident of beating Copenhagen on their own soil after picking up an away goal in Denmark, meaning a 1-0 win at home will see them through. This should be a brilliant tactical game.

STATS

• Ajax have been brilliant in the Europa League this season and have only lost one game in their 9 games in the competition, which came in the first leg of this tie. They’re certainly not new to European nights and have achieved lots of success in the Champions League and the Europa League.
• Copenhagen started the season with a place in the UEFA Champions League but after finishing 3^rd in Group G, behind Leicester and Porto, they ended up in the Europa League. They’ve only lost one game in their 9 games in Europe this season which came away at Leicester. They narrowly beat Ludogorets in the last round of the Europa League.
• Kasper Dolberg has been great for Ajax in all competitions this season and his 3 goals in the Europa League make him the most dangerous goal scorer for Ajax this season. At such a young age, he is showing brilliant potential.
• Andreas Cornelius has been Copenhagen’s top goal scorer in Europe so far this season with 6 goals, including the winning goal in their 2-1 victory over Ludogorets in the last round. He is certainly their main danger man going forward.

HEAD TO HEAD

The sides have met on 5 occasions since the turn of the millennium and Copenhagen dominate the meetings with 3 wins, while Ajax have won 1 and one games has ended a draw. Copenhagen have won the last two but Ajax will be hoping to end that run on Thursday night.

Head to head matches: Ajax Amsterdam - FC Copenhagen

09.03.2017

UEFA

FC Copenhagen

Ajax Amsterdam

2:1

AJAX NEWS

Ajax will be extremely confident in their ability to make sure they see themselves through to the quarter-final and their task of beating Copenhagen will be made much easier by the fact that they only have Davy Klaasen missing for the fixture as he’s injured. An almost full-strength side should have far too much class for Copenhagen in tis second leg but the Danish champions won’t just roll over.

Latest matches: Ajax Amsterdam

12.03.2017	Ered	Ajax Amsterdam	FC Twente Enschede	3:0	W
09.03.2017	UEFA	FC Copenhagen	Ajax Amsterdam	2:1	L
05.03.2017	Ered	FC Groningen	Ajax Amsterdam	1:1	D
26.02.2017	Ered	Ajax Amsterdam	Heracles Almelo	4:1	W
23.02.2017	UEFA	Ajax Amsterdam	Legia Warsaw	1:0	W

COPENHAGEN NEWS

FC Copenhagen will be desperate to hold onto the slender lead they earned themselves in the first leg of this tie and a ‘shut-up-shop’ approach will probably be taken to catch the Dutch on the counter-attack. With only two players missing: Nicolaj Thomsen (injury) and Zanka (suspension) their task isn’t made much harder and they have a great chance to advance into the quarter-final.

Latest matches: FC Copenhagen

12.03.2017	Supe	FC Copenhagen	Esbjerg FB	2:0	W
09.03.2017	UEFA	FC Copenhagen	Ajax Amsterdam	2:1	W
05.03.2017	Supe	FC Copenhagen	AC Horsens	5:0	W
01.03.2017	DBU	B 93 Copenhagen	FC Copenhagen	0:3	W
26.02.2017	Supe	FC Nordsjalland	FC Copenhagen	1:1	D

SUMMARY

The 2-1 win in the first leg has set up a very tasty second leg in this tie and both sides will be confident of going through. Copenhagen will hope to block every Ajax attack and Ajax will look to throw everything they have at the Copenhagen defence. While it probably won’t be a goal fest, it has the makings to be a very good tactical match-up. A win on the night for Ajax looks like the obvious outcome but it might not be enough to get them into the quarter-final.