The Europa League match between AEK Athens and Ajax will take place at Stadium OPAP Arena on Thursday at 10:15 pm IST.
AEK Athens and Ajax aim to recover from recent domestic losses as they clash at the OPAP Arena in the Europa League group stage on Thursday. AEK Athens leads Group B, having secured three points against Brighton & Hove Albion in the first gameweek, while Ajax played to an entertaining 3-3 draw with Marseille in their opening group match.
AEK Athens, initially seen as underdogs, impressed in their Group B opener against Brighton with a 3-2 victory. Despite holding only 25% possession, goals from Djibril Sidibe and Mijat Gacinovic were countered by two Joao Pedro penalties. AEK Athens secured all three points with an 84th-minute winner from substitute Ezequiel Ponce. Following this win, they notched two consecutive 2-1 victories in the Greek Super League, but their winning streak ended with a 2-0 loss to OFI on Monday. Returning to the OPAP Arena, AEK Athens has had a mixed home record this season, and their Europa League home form includes 12 winless games, with seven losses and five draws. As they face Ajax, it’s worth noting that AEK Athens has lost all four previous meetings with the Dutch giants in the Champions League, with a combined score of 9-1.
Ajax, returning to the Europa League group stage after four years, started with a 3-3 draw against Marseille in Group B, despite holding leads twice. Goals from Carlos Forbs, Steven Berghuis, and Kenneth Taylor had them ahead, but Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s second strike rescued a point for Marseille. Ajax’s recent period has been turbulent, with an Eredivisie match against Feyenoord abandoned due to crowd trouble, eventually ending in a 4-0 loss for Ajax. Their following game against RKC Waalwijk was cut short after a serious collision, with the score at 3-2. Despite these setbacks, Ajax boasts a strong Europa League record and an 11-game unbeaten streak against Greek opponents in European competitions.
AEK Athens probable starting lineup: Stankovic, Sidibe, Szymanski, Mitoglou, Hajsafi, Galanopoulos, Amrabat, Gacinovic, Pineda, Araujo, Ponce
Ajax probable starting lineup: Gorter, Rensch, Sutalo, Hato, Sosa, Taylor, Van den Boomen, Berghuis, Bergwijn, Brobbey, Forbs
AEK Athens
| Opponents | Score |
|---|---|
| OFI Crete | 0-2 (L) |
| Atromitos | 2-1 (W) |
| Panathinaikos | 2-1 (W) |
| Brighton | 3-2 (W) |
| Olympiacos Piraeus | 1-1 (D) |
Ajax
| Opponents | Score |
|---|---|
| Feyenoord | 0-4 (L) |
| Marseille | 3-3 (D) |
| Twente | 1-3 (L) |
| Sittard | 0-0 (D) |
| Ludogorets | 0-1 (D) |
| Result | Score |
|---|---|
| Ajax beat AEK Athens FC | 0-2 |
| Ajax beat AEK Athens FC | 0-3 |
| Ajax beat AEK Athens FC | 0-2 |
| Ajax beat AEK Athens FC | 1-2 |
The Europa League match between AEK Athens and Ajax will take place at Stadium OPAP Arena on Thursday at 10:15 pm IST.
| AEK Athens vs Ajax | Key Details |
|---|---|
| Date | October 5 |
| Venue | Stadium OPAP Arena |
| Kickoff time in Greece | 7:45 pm (Thursday) |
| Kickoff time in Netherlands | 6:45 pm (Thursday) |
| Kickoff time in India | 10:15 pm (Thursday) |
Football fans in Greece can catch the live action via Cosmote Sport 3 HD while those in Netherlands can watch the match live via Watch ESPN, ESPN 2, Veronica TV.
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