Good evening! The second leg of the
Champions League qualification tie between
Ajax and Rapid Vienna gets underway in around half an hour in Amsterdam. There's nothing between the sides after the first leg, although the Dutch side have the added benefit of two away goals. Let's start with a look at the team news.
AJAX STARTING XI: Cillessen, Veltman, Riedewald, Tete, Dijks, Bazoer, Sinkgraven, Klaassen, Fischer, Milik, El-Ghazi
RAPID VIENNA STARTING XI: Novota, Sonnleitner, Dibon, Stangl, Auer, Petsos, Schaub, S Hofmann, Kainz, Grahovac, Beric
AJAX SUBSTITUTES: Boer, Van Rhijn, Heitinga, Viergever, Gudelj, Schone, Sanogo
RAPID VIENNA SUBSTITUTES: Strebinger, M Hofmann, Schimpelsberger, Schobesberger, Huspek, Alar, Prosenik
The hosts have made just one change to the side that played in Vienna last week, with Viktor Fischer coming in for
Nemanja Gudelj, giving the Dutch side a more attacking lineup.
There are three changes for tonight's visitors, with
Louis Schaub, Srdjan Grahovac and Christopher Dibon all start. Stefan Schwab misses out after picking up a red card last time out.
It would be a huge upset if Ajax did not progress tonight. The Dutch side have reached the group stage for the last five years, facing the likes of Barcelona and Manchester City in recent seasons. However, Ajax did lose the Eredivisie title for the first time in five seasons last term, losing out to PSV.
This is Rapid Vienna's first involvement in the Champions League since the 2008-09 season, and are trying to reach the groups for the first time in 10 years. They reached the playoff stage of the Europa League last season, after four straight campaigns in the groups.
The home side are on the pitch going through their warmups at the moment:
For Ajax, this match comes just a couple of days before the start of the new Eredivisie season, where they will face AZ Alkmaar in their opening game on Sunday. The Austrian league is already underway, and Vienna have wn both of their matches so far. They'll play Wolfsberger AC at the weekend.
The players are starting to make their way out ready for kickoff at the AmsterdamArenA.
PREDICTION! With just moments until kickoff, there's just time for a quick prediction. Ajax have named a strong side, and with home advantage they should have enough to ensure that they progress. I'm going for a 2-0 home win.
KICKOFF! Rapid Vienna get the match underway.
It's pretty smokey in the stadium as fans lit flares in the build up to kickoff! Ajax try to get forward early on, with Fischer and Dijks linking up down the left, but they're unable to find Milik and Fischer who were waiting in the middle.
Ajax win the first corner of the match as Milik races down the left before his cross from near the corner flag is turned behind. Sinkgraven delivers is back in, but it's quickly cleared by the visitors.
The visitors go on the attack for the first time, with Stephan Auer attempting to play the ball down the right, but a late challenge from Dijks halts his progress. Vienna do have a free kick in a dangerous position though, but Ajax eventually get it clear. It's been a fairly open start to the match, but no chances yet.
Fischer tries to weave his way in from the left, but there are too many defenders blocking his route. Ajax work it across to Milik, but Vienna look really well organised at the back, and make sure he can't get the ball into the box either. Solid defence could be crucial for Vienna this evening, and it looks like it's something they've been practising.
Rapids win their first corner of the night when Kenny Tete is forced to put the ball out behind. The ball into the box looks dangerous, but manages to miss every. Kainx keeps it in play before pulling it back for Hosmann, but his drive from the edge of the box is blocked before it can test Jasper Cillessen.
GOAL! Ajax 0-1 Rapid Vienna (Robert Beric)
Jasper Cillessen fumes at his defence as
Robert Beric, Rapid Vienna's top scorer last season, is allowed to sprint unmarked into the Ajax box, meeting a delivery in from Stefan Stangl to give himself a free header at the far post. It's a clinical finish from the striker, but Cillessen really was stitched up by the back four, who were caught totally offguard by the quick break from the visitors.
DISALLOWED GOAL! Davy Klaassen thumps the ball in from close range after Tete had nodded a high ball down into the winger's path, but the defender clattered into Jan Novota while doing so, giving the referee no choice but to award a free kick to Vienna for the foul on the keeper. Cheers around the Amsterdam ArenA quickly turn into boos, but they can't really argue with that decision.
Stangl earns himself a stern talking to from the referee as he slides in late on Fischer, which also gives Ajax a free kick in a promising position, but Joel Veltman completely miscues, firing it well long of his teammates in the Vienna box.
CHANCE! Viktor Fischer comes within a few inches of getting the hosts back on level terms as Milik crosses the ball in from the right. El-Ghazi flicks it on for the striker, but his low finish curls outwards, finishing just wide of the right post.
Ajax have certainly seen more of the ball since going a goal down, but Jan Novota still hasn't had anything to save. Milik and Fischer work their way to the edge of the box again, but a loose ball ends up going harmlessly through to the keeper.
Mitchell Dijks sprints down the left as Ajax continue to look for the equaliser, which would actually give them the advantage because of their away goals. However, he spots Petsos closing in on him, and grapples the midfielder to the ground, handing the ball straight back to the visitors.
It was after 25 minutes in the first leg when Davy Klaassen started to create problems for Rapids, and he's starting to look dangerous again as he attempts to connect with a high ball forward from Veltman, only to see the ball go out for a throw in. He struck twice in quick succession before half time in the first leg, and Ajax fans would certainly welcome another spell like that from the winger.
Ajax are trying to build pressure just inside the Vienna half as they continue to look for their first shot on target this evening. Milik swings in a potentially useful cross, but it's cleared by the visitors before Klaassen can make the most of it.
The visitors haven't seen too much of the ball since taking the lead, but they look to catch the Dutch side out with a quick break, with Grahovac playing a through-ball into the path of Beric, but there's just a touch too much on it for the striker.
GOAL! Ajax 0-2 Rapid Vienna (Louis Schaub)
Just like that, Rapid Vienna have doubled their lead on the night, and now have the same amount of away goals as their hosts. Steffen Hofmann picks out Louis Schaub on the edge of the box. The midfielder takes a couple of touches waiting for Beric to get open, but the striker is closely marked. Schaub takes the shot on himself, drilling it in low through the middle of the box, and Cillessen just doesn't spot it until it's too late. This is going to take some real character from Ajax to get back into this tie.
There's a little more urgency in Ajax's passing know, as they know they need to score twice just for extra time at the moment. Sinkgraven tries to lift it over the top for Dijks, but the defender is a step offside as the ball is played.
Mario Sonnleitner has quietly gone about his business at the back for Vienna in this first half, and he makes another crucial block to halt a run from Milik. Fischer quickly gets it back, but can only fire high and wide from the edge of the box.
HALF TIME: Ajax 0-2 Rapid Vienna
So, at half time it's the away end that is bouncing at the Amsterdam ArenA, with goals from Robert Beric and Louis Schaub putting the Austrian side two goals up.
The home side have had the majority of the possession, but are yet to test the keeper, with all three of their shots going wide. Rapid Vienna have only had three shots too, but two have been on target, while the other was blocked. The visitors have certainly been clinical in front of goal so far.
Here's a shot of the action from the first half:
Ajax had been heavy favourites to progress once they were drawn against the Austrian side. While the hosts are more than capable of getting two goals in 45 minutes, it will take a big effort against a side that look superbly prepared at the back. Ajax started with three strikers, plus goal-scoring winger Davy Klaassen, but have also got Yaya Sanogo on the bench if they feel the need for more fire power.
Ajax keep the visitors waiting a couple of minutes before eventually making their way back out from the tunnel.
RESTART! The home side get the action back underway. It's a big 45 minutes for the Eredivisie side!
Yaya Sanogo is already warming up, perhaps warning his teammates that if they don't get a goal back soon he'll be taking their place. Milik almost yields an immediate result, rising high to get a header away from near the spot, but it finishes high.
Ajax are living dangerously at the back as they let Beric get the ball in the box again. He tries to turn to get his shot away, but some close marking from Riedewald keeps him out. He does backheel it towards Kainz, but Tete clears it first.
GOAL! Ajax 1-2 Rapid Vienna (Arkadiusz Milik)
What a goal! That's just what Ajax needed at the start of this second half to give them some hope. Dijks crosses it in from out wide, and the striker hits in on the volley into the bottom corner. That really is a stunning finish.
BOOKING! Stephan Auer is the first player to receive a yellow card this evening for a late challenge on Klaassen.
El-Ghazi breaks from the middle looking to set up another for Ajax. He curls the ball in from the right, but his delivery goes behind before it reaches Klaassen.
SUB! Rapid Vienna are making the first change of the night, with Steffen Hofmann making way for Philipp Schobesberger. That should allow Vienna to slow the hosts down in the middle a bit, as he's a more defensively-minded midfielder that Hofmann.
SUB! There's a change for the hosts too, and slightly surprisingly it's another defensive one as Nemanja Gudelj takes the place of Viktor Fischer. However, with Ajax now back in this match, that should help them stop Rapid getting a third, which would leave the Dutch side needing to win tonight's match to progress.
CHANCE! Dijks has been just excellent down the left flank, using all of his pace to create several openings for the hosts so far. He provides another cross, this time for El-Ghazi, but he scuffs his shot to leave Novota with an easy save.
CHANCE! Ajax are so close to squaring up the tie as Dijks plays the ball in again. Klaassen tries to rifle it in, but it's parried clear before Gudelj fires it back in on the rebound, watching the ball flash just wide of the left upright. Rapid Vienna have had just 30% possession so far in this match, but as things stand it's still the visitors that will be heading through.
There's a worry for the visitors as El-Ghazi comes in high to meet a cross and smashes into the keeper. Novota hasn't had a great deal to do so far tonight, but with Ajax very much on the front-foot, they wouldn't want to be changing their keeper now. Fortunately it looks like he's just a bit winded.
Ajax are still dominating possession, as they need to to get back on level terms. The ball falls to Bazoer on the edge of the box, but he panics and smashes the ball well over.
SUB! Ajax are throwing on another striker in a bit to find a late equaliser, with Yaya Sanogo coming on in place of defender Joel Veltman.
Rapid Vienna immediately try to make the most of the extra space at the back as Schaub tries to play his way in from the left, with Beric arriving in the middle, but Ajax recover just in time to stop him passing to the striker.
Sanogo gets his first touch since coming off the break, and tries to make the most of his fresher legs with a burst down the left flank, but Sonnleitner muscles the ball away from him.
GOAL! Ajax 2-2 Rapid Vienna (Nemanja Gudelj)
Ajax have three strikers on the pitch, so of course the equaliser has come from a defender! Novota does just enough to scramble it away as Klaassen tries to head in on the near post, but Gudelj is arriving on the edge of the box and whacks it first time to get the hosts back on level terms, both on the night and on aggregate.
GOAL! Ajax 2-3 Rapid Vienna (Louis Schaub)
Well that didn't last long Rapid Vienna have been happy to defend since going a goal up early on, but they immediately go on the hunt following the Ajax equaliser. Schobeberger sees his cross from the left go straight out the other side, but Schaub is there to pick it up, and take a couple of touches on the edge of the box before curling it expertly into the top left corner. It's an excellent finish from the midfielder, who now has two on the night.
CHANCE! It can't go to extra time now, with Rapid having more away goals than their hosts. They don't want to take any chances though as Auer sends a high ball into the box for Beric, but he misses it, before a diving header from Grahovac is glanced just wide.
The visitors win a free kick near the corner flag, but it's a wasted opportunity as Florian Kainz puts far too much on the ball, sending it straight behind for a goal kick.
Ajax are understandably playing very high up the pitch now, as they need to score twice in the final five minutes. That leaves too much space at the back though, allowing Schobesberger to run at the Ajax goal, but he just loses control of the ball, allowing Cillessen to come out and claim it.
Schobesberger and Kainz link up to get the ball back in the Ajax final third. The substitute tries to square it to Beric, but his pass is intercepted and cleared. Meanwhiel, Ajax fans are starting to head for the exits as they realise their fate; they're heading out of the Champions League.
SUB! It's a final change for the hosts as Lasse Schone replaces Daley Sinkgraven.
SUB! Louis Schaub gets a standing ovation from the visiting fans as Deni Alar takes his place for the final couple of minutes.
Yaya Sanogo is trying his best to make sure Ajax don't go out without a fight, but some of his teammates are looking rather weary and defeated as the final couple of minutes tick down. However, there will be four minutes of stoppage time.
Beric thinks that he's though to add his second of the night for Vienna, seemingly beating the last defender to leave him one-on-one with Cillessen, but a late flag from the assistant referee lets the hosts off the hook.
There are over 3,000 travelling fans in the away end, and they are in fine voice as Rapid Vienna run down the final couple of minutes to secure their spot in the playoff round. The visitors try to give them one more goal to cheer, with Beric sprinting in again to meet a cross, but Cillessen gets to it first.
FULL TIME: Ajax 2-3 Rapid Vienna
Rapid Vienna win 5-4 on aggregate!
What a sensational result for Rapid Vienna! They've ended Ajax's five-year run of qualifying for the group stage of the champions league, eliminating the Dutch side with victory at the Amsterdam Arena. The players immediately go to the away end to celebrate with the sizable away crowd.
The Austrian side will have to wait for the draw to see who they will face in the next round, but they're just 180 minutes away from their first involvement in the groups in a decade. Louis Schaub got two of the goals for the visitors, but it was Robert Beric's opener that got the ball rolling. Here's the striker celebrating his goal:
© Getty Images
So, that's all from this match, but join us again tomorrow for more action from the Champions League qualifiers, with Scottish champions Celtic among the sides hoping to progress. Until then, thanks for joining me this evening. Goodbye.