Ludogorets vs Ajax

Click on any stream link below to watch the game

On Thursday night, the opening leg of their Europa League playoff will take place at Huvepharma Arena between the Dutch powerhouse Ajax and the Bulgarian champions Ludogorets Razgrad.

Ajax, who placed third in the Eredivisie last year, entered Europa League qualification before Ludogrets, who were eliminated from Champions League qualifying earlier in the month.

In the first round of Champions League qualification, Ludogorets Razgrad defeated Ballkani with ease, winning 6-0 on the road. However, they were unable to go beyond NK Olimpija Ljubljana in the next round, losing 3-2 on the road.

Ivaylo Petev's team defeated Astana to secure a 6-3 aggregate victory over the Kazakhstani team, owing to an astonishing 5-1 thrashing in the second leg, despite sliding down to Europa League qualifying.

Ludogorets entered the 2023–24 season as clear favorites after winning each of the previous 12 top-flight championships in Bulgaria, but they have already suffered two domestic losses this year, putting them seven points behind the leaders.

The Eagles scored a total of 13 goals in three convincing triumphs, maintaining three clean sheets for good measure after suffering a shocking 3-1 loss to Krumovgrad in their league debut.

However, Ludogorets is coming off a shocking 1-0 loss going into the first leg on Thursday.

Fans of European football are used to seeing Ajax in the Champions League season after season, but the Dutch giants will not feature in Europe's premier club competition this term.

Last season, Ajax found themselves outside of the Eredivisie's top two for the first time since 2008-09, finishing six points shy of second-placed PSV Eindhoven and 13 points behind champions Feyenoord following a below-par campaign.

After John Heitinga took over as temporary manager until the conclusion of the season after Alfred Schreuder was fired in January, Maurice Steijn was given the opportunity to become the team's permanent manager in July.

Steijn appeared to have trouble adjusting to his new position after suffering crushing defeats in the preseason matches against Borussia Dortmund, Augsburg, and Anderlecht, but the former Sparta Rotterdam manager has presided over an undefeated start to the 2023–24 season.

Steijn will be hoping for another successful outcome on Thursday after De Godenzonen rallied from a goal down to tie 2-2 with Excelsior the previous weekend. De Godenzonen had previously destroyed Heracles 4-1 in the opening weekend of the Eredivisie season.