Ajax will meet Olympique Lyonnais in the next round of the Europa League. Only hours after eliminating Schalke 04 from the tournament in an exhilarating second leg showdown, the Amsterdammers were linked to their French opponents during the UEFA Europa League semi-final draw.
Starting with a home game in the Amsterdam ArenA on the 3rd of May, Ajax will travel to France one week later (May 11) to decide who moves on to the Europa League final in Stockholm.
The two sides have had four previous meetings, all taking place in the UEFA Champions League group stage. Ajax managed to beat Lyonnais twice in the 2002/03 season, whilst the two games in 2011/12 both ended in a goalless 0-0 draw. Nonetheless, the bookies consider the draw a tough one for Ajax, with odds to take home the gold looking as follows:
5/6: Manchester United
11/4: Olympique Lyonnais
11/2: Ajax
7/1: Celta de Vigo