Celtic v Ajax background
Sunday, November 8, 2015
Article summary
Celtic and Ajax drew 2-2 on matchday one but can ill afford another tie as they battle for second place in UEFA Europa League Group A, with Molde already sure of a round of 32 place.
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Celtic FC host AFC Ajax on UEFA Europa League matchday five, with both sides chasing Fenerbahçe SK for second place in Group A.
• A Fenerbahçe win at Molde FK would spell elimination for any loser in this fixture. Fenerbahçe will progress if they win and Celtic and Ajax draw.
Previous meetings
• Ajax equalised twice to earn a 2-2 draw when the sides met on 17 September, Celtic ending the game with ten men following Emilio Izaguirre's 73rd-minute dismissal.
• The teams have met nine times in UEFA competition, Celtic boasting the record W4 D2 L3 (W2 D1 L1 in Glasgow).
Form guide
• Celtic's 2-1 home reverse against Molde was their ninth consecutive UEFA Europa League fixture without a win – three short of the competition record held jointly by FK Partizan and ŠK Slovan Bratislava.
• Ajax are without a victory in five European games (D4 L1). They have also not won in five continental away matches (D3 L2).
• Ajax have made it through to the round of 32 in all three of their previous UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League group stage campaigns. They have featured at one stage or another in the last nine editions of the competition.
• Celtic made it through to the round of 32 last term. It was their first successful UEFA Cup or UEFA Europa League group stage campaign after missing the cut in 2009/10 and 2011/12.
Trivia and links
• The journey from Amsterdam to Glasgow is just over 700km.
• Celtic are among ten domestic champions in this season's group stage, along with KF Skenderbëu (Albania), Qarabağ FK (Azerbaijan), APOEL FC (Cyprus), FC Viktoria Plzeň (Czech Republic), FC Midtjylland (Denmark), KKS Lech Poznań (Poland), FK Partizan (Serbia), Molde (Norway) and FC Basel 1893 (Switzerland).
• Celtic midfielder Derk Boerrigter turned professional at Ajax, and then won two league titles in a second spell with the Amsterdam club before leaving for Glasgow in July 2013.
The coaches
• A defender in his native Norway, Ronny Deila was hired by Celtic in 2014 after a six-year spell in charge of Strømsgodset, who he led to a Norwegian Cup in 2010 and a league title in 2013. He won another title in his first season at Parkhead.
• Frank de Boer has been in charge of Ajax since 2010, and in 2014 became the first coach to steer the club to four successive Eredivisie titles. The defender lifted the UEFA Cup and UEFA Champions League as an Ajax player.
