The road to the champions league for the big teams would usually be smooth. The real work would start when the group stages fly in. however, for other leagues with fewer rankings, the teams would have to struggle to make do with the limited spaces that are available to those leagues. The qualifying rounds, therefore, is a knockout stage in its own right where you have to win every tie or miss out on the champions league completely. This is where Apoel and Ajax currently find themselves. Having passed the first qualifying round, they now have to find a way past each other to make sure that they make it to the next round.

Apoel

Qarabag was the team that Apoel faced on their way to this round and it surely was not a walk in the park. The first loss to Qarabag in their own home would have rattled them. However, they did well to come back from the 2-1 loss and went to win 2-0 away from home. While they would be happy with that result and the determination they showed away from home, fans are rightly worried at how they would fare if that should happen here. The first match is played at the GSP stadium and they would have to contain the attacking flair of this Ajax team.

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Ajax

Ajax would be gearing for this encounter with real zeal. They didn’t have their way too in the first round. A draw in PAOK put them nicely on the road to a victory after the first match. However, the match at home wasn’t easier. They had to work harder before claiming the 3-2 victory against PAOK. Now, they face Apoel who are ready to sniff down any vulnerability that they may find on this team. They would be confident heading to the GSP knowing that Apoel has shown real issues when playing at home.

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Form

Another thing that would give Ajax the confidence would their overall form. They have not lost yet in their last six games with the worst result being a draw. That is great and shows why they had a good run in the champion’s league last season. With or without their key players who moved to other clubs, this Ajax team remains a beast and would take a lot to beat. The worst thing is that they know it and are not showing any signs of complacency.

Apoel then would have to get creative. Their form is not as convincing as their opponents as they have lost twice and won four. However, both teams have taken 12 points from a possible 18 points in those six matches. So they would feel on par when it comes to that aspect. The champions league offers more than just prestige. It offers money which can help boost the finances of the teams and leave them at a better place. With this prospect staring them right in the face, they would surely have enough incentive to go on to claim victory.