After a goalless draw in the first leg, Ajax and Union Berlin would go into the game in Germany on level terms. Union Berlin's rise in the last few years have been special and now they are meeting one of the biggest powerhouses in European football. The football bookmakers have placed good value on Ajax and I think the Amsterdam club has enough to qualify and my recommendation in this game is an away win or draw. Here's why;
[1] A glance at both sides shows that Ajax is the better team ahead of this clash. Since their appointment of a new coach, the Dutch giants have not lost a single game and are charging to the top of the league in the Netherlands' Eredivisie. They have five wins from six games in Johnny Heitenga's tenure and they have not dropped points under his watch. A 4-0 thrashing of Sparta Rotterdam during the weekend is enough boost for Ajax ahead of this knockout tie. Union Berlin's purple patch looks like it's over just after the new year. They have not scored in each of their last two games with consecutive goalless draws in the UEFA Europa League and the German Bundesliga. Their attack is looking very blunt at this stage of the season and with Ajax hitting top form, I'm backing the Dutch team to claim a victory or get a draw at least.
[2] Team quality is another big reason why Ajax can hurt Union Berlin in this tie. Sometimes you don't even need to be in top form to get the job done and that is largely because of the players that make up a team. Ajax has a team of players with vast experience in European knockouts and more quality than Union Berlin whose team consists of young and average players.
From the beginning of this draw, it was very clear Ajax had the upper hand and should get past Union Berlin. They couldn't finish off the Germans last week but they can make it to the last 16 when they meet in the return leg. They have a better teams and are in very good form under the new manager, I'm predicting an away win or draw in this game.
