Ajax will face a potentially tricky Europa League two-legged tie against Belgian outfit Union Saint-Gilloise in the play-off round. The Dutch giants finished 12th place in the new extended league stage, having suffered an inconsistent European campaign.
Ajax won four, drew one and lost three of their games in the new Europa League bigger league format.
Ajax will be confident in recent form
Despite their inconsistent form in the Europa League, the team from the Dutch capital has been strong recently, winning three of their last four games in all competitions.
Last time out, Francesco Farioli’s team recorded a 2-1 win over Feyenoord at the Johan Cruyff Arena, with midfielder Kenneth Taylor grabbing the winning goal in the 90th minute. Taylor has been in a rich vein of form of late in front of goal, scoring four goals in his last five matches in the Eredivisie.
The victory means that Ajax have recorded five straight wins in the Eredivisie, which has put them just two points behind reigning champions and league leaders PSV Eindhoven at the top of the table.
In recent months, Ajax have had a knack for finding the net on a regular basis, scoring at least two goals in 11 of their previous 12 games in the Dutch top flight.
Since the appointment of Farioli in the summer, the Dutch giants have certainly posed a major attacking threat to the opposition. This could be vital for Ajax’s play in all competitions for the rest of the season.
Ajax’s defence has also improved this season, and the team from Amsterdam have the best defensive record in the Eredivisie this season.
Who are Union-Saint Gilloise?
Ajax’s playoff opponents are Union Saint-Gilloise, who are a historic Belgian club founded in 1897 that was one of the top teams in Belgium from 1904 until 1913. In fact, Union were crowned as Belgian champions on seven occasions during the club’s most successful period.
They have enjoyed a phoenix-like rise in recent years, including featuring in the Champions League in season 2022/23.
Incredibly, Union had not featured in the Belgian top flight in 48 years until season 2021/22, when they finished as runners-up in the league. It was an incredible achievement for Les Unionistes. However, they repeated the feat in season 2023/24.
They are certainly not going to be easy opponents for Ajax. Like the Dutch giants, they didn’t enjoy a great campaign in the initial league stage of the Europa League. They finished 21st in the league table, winning three, drawing one and losing four of their games in European football’s secondary competition.
Our players need you! 🫵
Next Thursday, we play against Ajax in the Europa League knockout play-off. Tickets for this massive game are now available for Union+ Members and season ticket holders. The open sale starts on Friday. 🎟🏟 pic.twitter.com/CUBFWfpFWg
— Royale Union Saint-Gilloise (@UnionStGilloise) February 3, 2025
However, Union is still enjoying a decent domestic campaign. They currently sit in third place in the Belgian top-flight table, 11 points behind league leaders KRC Genk.
Similar to Ajax, Union Saint-Gilloise has been highly effective in front of goal this season. The Belgian outfit’s front players have been prolific, as Croatian youngster Franjo Ivanovic has scored five goals in his last four appearances for Union. He has also scored four goals in the Europa League this season.
His fellow forward, Nigerian star Promise David, has also scored in his last three matches in all competitions. However, he has only played once in the Europa League this season but will be looking to add to his goal tally in the two-legged tie with Ajax.
It could be a highly entertaining tie
Although Union Saint-Gilloise is unlikely to be easy to defeat, Ajax will be more than confident that they can overcome their opponents over two legs. The Dutch giants have proven in recent weeks just how good they can be.
Both teams have underwhelmed in the Europa League this season. However, judging by both teams’ recent results and performances, the tie could be highly entertaining, with goals almost guaranteed over the two games.