Roma vs Ajax facts

Last season's UEFA Women's Champions League quarter-finalists Roma, who staged an impressive Matchday 1 comeback to earn a valuable draw take on Ajax, who took maximum points on their group stage debut.

The Giallorosse became the first team to prevent Bayern München from winning a home group match in this competition in their opening fixture thanks to Evelyne Viens' finish and Manuela Giugliano's added-time equaliser, completing the Roma fightback after the visitors had trailed 2-0 at half-time.

Alessandro Spugna's team were among seven clubs to go through last season's group stage without suffering a home defeat, conceding just once in their three Group B fixtures in the Italian capital. Only eventual winners Barcelona and last term's semi-finalists Chelsea managed a better home defensive record in the group stage.

Ajax became the third of the four sides making their group stage bow to secure a Matchday 1 victory, beating two-time runners-up Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 in Amsterdam courtesy of two goals in the space of 12 first-half minutes. Tiny Hoekstra slotted in from a tight angle before Sherida Spitse converted a penalty following a foul on Ashleigh Weerden.

De Godendochters' run in the 2017/18 Women's Champions League ended on Italian soil at the round of 32 stage, Brescia overturning a 1-0 first-leg deficit with a 2-0 victory in the return fixture in October 2017. Current Roma players Camelia Ceasar, Valentina Giacinti and Martina Tomaselli were in the Brescia side for that second-leg home success.

Players to watch

Manuela Giugliano 

The 26-year-old was key to Roma's Matchday 1 comeback in Munich, laying on the pass for Viens' goal and scoring the late leveller herself to earn the Player of the Match award.

Giugliano was one of five players to both score and assist a goal on Matchday 1, along with Lyon trio Ada Hegerberg, Eugénie Le Sommer, Daniëlle van de Donk and Chelsea's Niamh Charles.

The midfielder started Brescia's 1-0 round of 32 defeat at Ajax in October 2017, but missed the 2-0 second-leg victory due to injury.

The Italian international's Matchday 1 goal against Bayern meant she found the net for a third game in a row, having scored in the 3-1 Serie A win at Juventus on 5 November and the 6-0 home success against Napoli six days later.

Giugliano scored her first Women's Champions League goal on Matchday 2 last season, the Giallorosse mounting another late comeback to triumph 4-3 away to St. Pölten, before scoring twice against the same opponents in the return fixture.

Tiny Hoekstra 

The 27-year-old's goal that opened the scoring in the 2-0 Matchday 1 home victory against Paris was her first in the competition.

The attacker also struck in the 5-2 league success against Utrecht on 5 November, having scored twice at Fortuna Sittard in Ajax's previous Eredivisie outing on 22 October.

Her 15 league goals last season – as Ajax lifted the title for the first time since 2017/18 – made her the club's second-highest scorer in the division, behind Romée Leuchter's 17.

The forward, who extended her contract until 2025 in August, joined the Godendochters in summer 2021, having previously spent nine years in Heerenveen's first team.

Hoekstra was the Eredivisie's leading scorer as a Heerenveen player in 2018/19, scoring 27 goals in 24 appearances.

Key facts

Roma

Roma have won their last eight home matches in all competitions.

The Italian side have lost only one of their seven Women's Champions League group stage fixtures (W4 D2).

Roma have scored in 12 of their 13 Women's Champions League matches.

The Giallorosse have won two and drawn one of their three home group games.

Ajax

The Dutch side have won their first four Women's Champions League matches this season without conceding a goal.

Ajax have won six of their last eight European games, losing only one.