Ajax already have one foot in the Europa League proper as they prepare to welcome Ludogorets Razgrad to the Johan Cruyff Arena for the second leg of their playoff on Thursday.
The Dutch giants thrashed the Bulgarian champions 4-1 in the first leg, with Mohammed Kudus netting a hat-trick as a parting gift before joining West Ham United.
Match preview
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Ajax would have anticipated a testing evening at Huvepharma Arena, but Maurice Steijn's men ended up making light work of Ludogorets in the first leg, chalking up a healthy 4-1 lead to all but book their place in the Europa League proper.
Mohammed Kudus bagged a brace inside 18 minutes before Brian Brobbey made it 3-0 on the stroke of half time, while Kudus completed his hat-trick after the break, with Olivier Verdon pulling a goal back for the hosts from the penalty spot midway through the second half.
Despite enjoying the lion's share of possession in Razgrad, Ajax managed just five attempts on target during the first leg, while Ludogorets racked up 14 shots, but De Godenzonen were clinical when it mattered.
As a result, Ajax remain unbeaten this season thanks to a run of two wins and one draw in all competitions, with a 4-1 thrashing of Heracles and a 2-2 draw with Excelsior preceding last week's demolition of Ludogrets, who find themselves with a mountain to climb on Thursday.
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Having created numerous goalscoring opportunities throughout the first leg, Ludogrets will be kicking themselves after failing to make the most of their chances, meaning that Ivaylo Petev's men must score at least three goals at the Johan Cruyff Arena.
That said, the Eagles did not struggle to find the back of the net in their previous game as they thrashed Beroe 5-0 in the Bulgarian First League on Sunday, with five different players getting on the scoresheet.
Ludogorets have now won four of their six league games this term, scoring an impressive 19 goals in the process, so the perennial Bulgarian champions are already well on their way to clinching a 13th successive top-flight title in their homeland.
It is also worth remembering that Ludogorets booked their place in the Europa League playoffs with a 6-3 aggregate triumph over Astana, proving that Petev's men are capable of scoring multiple goals in any given match.
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Team News
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Mohammed Kudus joined Ajax's lengthy list of departures as he joined West Ham United on Sunday, with Jurrien Timber, Dusan Tadic, Edson Alvarez and Calvin Bassey also leaving the club this summer.
On top of that, De Godenzonen currently have Ahmetcan Kaplan, Geronimo Rulli, Francisco Conceicao, Remko Pasveer and Amourricho van Axel Dongen sidelined through injury, giving Maurice Steijn plenty to think about when it comes to his team selection.
New signing Carlos Borges will likely replace Kudus in the hosts' three-man forward line, although Chuba Akpom - who scored 28 Championship goals last season - could find himself in the starting XI after completing his move from Middlesbrough.
On the flip side, Ludogorets look set to be without the injured defensive trio of Dinis Almeida, Anton Nedyalkov and Denny Gropper on Thursday, while Swiss forward Kwadwo Duah is also expected to miss the second leg.
Given that Ludogorets need goals, Ivaylo Petev will likely utilise an attacking 4-3-3 formation, with Kiril Despodov, Rwan Seco and Bernard Tekpetey operating in the forward line.
Ajax possible starting lineup:
Gorter; Rensch, Medic, Hato, Wijndal; Tahirovic, Berghuis, Taylor; Borges, Brobbey, Bergwijn
Ludogorets Razgrad possible starting lineup:
Padt; Fonn Witry, Sonko Sundberg, Verdon, Heister; Piotrowski, Goncalves, Yordanov; Despodov, Seco, Tekpetey
We say: Ajax 3-1 Ludogorets Razgrad (Ajax to win 7-2 on aggregate)
Ludogorets will need to deploy an all-or-nothing approach as they aim to overturn the hefty deficit, but that will leave the visitors exposed at the back.
We can see Ludogorets pulling a goal back in the second leg, but we expect the Dutch giants to outscore the Bulgarian champions once again, putting the tie out of reach.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Ben Morris
