For Ajax, the European adventure continues after the winter break in the Europa League against Union Berlin. The team from Amsterdam has never played against the current number three in the Bundesliga.
Ajax lost in the Champions League, because the team from Amsterdam finished in third place in their group behind Napoli and Liverpool. All numbers three get a second chance one level lower in the Europa League.
Union Berlin played this season in Europe against Union Sint-Gillis from Belgium, the Portuguese Sporting Brava and Malmö FF from Sweden. The Belgians and Portuguese were lost, but the Germans converted the other four group matches into a win.
Doekhi and Becker
Former Ajax player Danilho Doekhi is under contract with Union Berlin. Between 2016 and 2018 he wore the shirt of Jong Ajax. He did not make a debut in the first team. The Rotterdam-born defender switched to Union Berlin this summer after four seasons Vitesse. He has so far started four times in the Europa League.
Sheraldo Becker also has a past in Amsterdam. He played for Jong Ajax between 2013 and 2015. After wandering through PEC Zwolle and ADO Den Haag, the attacker ended up in Berlin in 2019. The 27-year-old Becker has started in all Union Berlin matches and is the club’s top scorer with six goals.
The play-off games will be played February 16 and 23. The eight winners of this intermediate round join the eight winners from the group stage, including Feyenoord.
Other matches in the intermediate round:
Barcelona – Manchester United
Juventus – FC Nantes
Sporting Portugal – FC Midtjylland
Shahktar Donetsk – Stade Rennes
Ajax – Union Berlin
Bayer Leverkusen – AS Monaco
Seville – PSV
FC Salzburg – AS Roma
Conference League
AZ finished in the Conference League, the third European level, at the top of the group with Dnipro 1, Apollon Limassol and FC Vaduz. The draw is later this afternoon.