Will Eintracht show a different face in the Europa League?
The fans of Eintracht Frankfurt regularly ensure that European Cup evenings with SGE participation are particularly atmospheric. The fact whether their eagle bearers have to play at home or away is not that important, because even the short trip to Amsterdam on Thursday will probably be taken up by over 10,000 Eintracht supporters to support their favorite club. The atmosphere in the stands will definitely be explosive. Before the kick-off of the encounter Ajax Amsterdam against Frankfurt, the only tip that can be given to the players on the pitch is to keep a cool head.
The Hessians have not really managed to do that twice in a row in the Bundesliga recently. Due to a lack of concentration in defense and too harmless appearances in offense, the Toppmöller team lost two matches in a row and conceded four goals. On the international stage, the black and red and whites now want to show a defiant reaction and, at best, get back on the road to victory. Although the Dutch team has recently climbed back to the top at national level, there are indications that justify a prediction against Ajax Amsterdam.
In particular, Eintracht’s strong league phase gives hope that the only remaining Bundesliga representative can continue to fly the German flag in the Europa League. Nevertheless, caution is advised, because the home team, traditionally peppered with many top talents, is always capable of creating chances.
Ajax Amsterdam – Statistics & current form
Francesco Farioli has been in charge of Ajax Amsterdam since the start of this season. The Italian has had a somewhat different career path so far. Farioli first studied philosophy and sports science before becoming Roberto de Zerbi’s goalkeeping coach. The 35-year-old finally took his first steps as a head coach in Turkey before moving to Nice in 2023/24 and from there to Amsterdam in the summer.
After two seasons in which the AFC management had to congratulate the competition from Rotterdam and Eindhoven on winning the championship, Farioli and his charges are currently on the verge of ending this seemingly endless dry spell. Although the gap was at times in the double-digit points range, “de Godenzonen” now lead the standings by eight (!) Points.
The Farioli team lost four of their last six EL matches
The last nine Eredivisie matches have all been won, seven of them with a clean sheet. If you want to bet on a home win on Thursday evening in view of this strong form, you will find odds of 2.55 at Winamax for the first leg between Ajax Amsterdam and Frankfurt. With the Winamax bonus, you can further reduce your own risk.
However, a glance at their previous results in the Europa League makes it clear that the red and whites are also “only human” despite their strong series at the national level. In the league phase, they scored 13 out of a possible 24 points, with ten of these 13 points coming from the first four matches. Of the last six EL matches, four were lost.
The international adventure almost came to an end two weeks ago, when, after a 2-0 away triumph at Royale Union SG, there was another 2-0 defeat in the second leg at home, which only resulted in extra time and then a penalty shootout. It was only then that the team managed to advance to the last 16. Nevertheless, the series of now six consecutive home games in a European knockout phase that the Dutch team has not been able to win was extended. Therefore, betting odds on home success between Ajax Amsterdam and Frankfurt should be treated with caution.
Frankfurt – Statistics & current form
Eintracht Frankfurt are going through a difficult patch in the Bundesliga at the moment. Although the start of the new football year 2025 could still be described as successful, their form has been deteriorating since then. They have only managed to win one of their last six league matches. At FC Bayern (0:4) and last Saturday at home against Eintracht Frankfurt (1:4), the team of coach Dino Toppmöller was clearly shown its limits. Nevertheless, they are still in third place in the interim ranking, which would definitely qualify them for the Champions League 25/26.
Is Eintracht showing its European model face?
Above all, defensively, the Hessians have not made a particularly good impression recently. To make matters worse for Thursday, the recently recovered defensive leader Robin Koch is once again condemned to watching due to a concussion. This in turn means that Rasmus Kristensen will move to the back three and that two players with virtually no international experience, Nathaniel Brown and Nnamdi Collins, are expected to start in the wing-back positions. It seems unlikely that Kevin Trapp will keep a clean sheet for SGE.
Instead, I am backing a prediction between Ajax Amsterdam and Frankfurt for goals by both teams, which is supported, among other things, by the fact that a corresponding bet has been successful in nine of the last twelve Bundesliga matches and in three of the four previous away matches in the EL. Furthermore, the over 2.5 can also be considered, especially since at least three goals have been scored in three of Frankfurt’s four Europa League away matches.
Finally, it should be mentioned that the Europa League champion of 2022 has qualified for the next round in six of the last eight rounds of 16. Apart from that, the myth of “Frankfurt in the heart of Europe” should not be underestimated across the board. In recent years, it has repeatedly been the case that the eagle bearers have performed best in the European Cup and have also defeated renowned clubs with enviable regularity. Despite the poor form and the fact that a win is not yet mandatory in the first leg, the 2.72 for an away win in the NEO.bet app promises appealing value. With the NEO.bet bonus code, you can also get a free bet!
Ajax Amsterdam – Frankfurt Head to head / H2H record
The clubs will meet for the first time in a competitive game on Thursday evening. It is interesting, however, that Ajax only lost one of the last 21 home games at European level against German representatives, celebrating a whopping 17 (!) victories in the process. On the other hand, Eintracht have been challenged twice in a European knockout round by clubs from the Netherlands and have advanced to the next round on both occasions.
Ajax Amsterdam – Frankfurt Tip
A prestigious Dutch-German duel awaits us in the Europa League round of 16. The current Eredivisie league leaders will face the third-placed team in the Bundesliga, who have been somewhat weaker of late. On paper, the guests from Frankfurt have a better chance of progressing. In the first leg at home, however, the betting providers expect an even match with a slight advantage for the Farioli team. But the fact is that SGE have made a better impression in the competition so far than the red and whites from Amsterdam.
In particular, the most recent 2-0 home defeat to Royale Union SG in the playoff second leg is still fresh in the minds of AFC Ajax. Especially because Davy Klaasen, one of the hosts’ most important players, was sent off and will now be missing on Thursday evening. I tend to believe in a lively match between two teams that primarily have their strengths in offense. Consequently, my Ajax Amsterdam vs. Frankfurt betting tip is on Over 2.5 goals. Betano offers odds of 1.65.