Ajax booked their place in the group stage of the Europa League by playing out a goalless draw with FK Baumit Jablonec.
The Dutch outfit had claimed a 1-0 win in last week's first leg and dominated the opening 45 minutes.
After the break, the hosts were given the chance to take the lead from the penalty spot, but Jan Gregus missed his effort.
Riechedly Bazoer was then sent off for the visitors, but Jablonec were unable to take advantage, as their European campaign came to an end.
Find out how the action unfolded below.
Hello everyone! A packed week of football in Europe continues this evening, as a number of clubs look to book their place in the group stage of the Europa League. Ajax will be confident of extending their run in the competition, as they travel to the Czech Republic to take on Jablonec.
The Dutch club are in pole position to advance this evening after claiming a 1-0 win last Thursday. Arkadiusz Milik scored the only goal of the match from the penalty spot, to give his side the most slender of advantages.
Jablonec do not have the best record in Europe and they have only reached the playoffs once before. They surprised many by coming from behind to beat Copenhagen in the last round, but another fightback would be a huge ask this evening. Right, the team news has arrived, so without further ado, lets take a look at how the clubs will be lining up!
JABLONEC XI: Hruby, Pernica, Novak, Karavaev, Benes, Hubschman, Crnkic, Mingazov, Gregus, Pospisil, Wagner
AJAX XI: Cillessen, Veltman, Riedewald, Tete, Dijks, Bazoer, Sinkgraven, Klaasen, Gudelj, Milik, El Ghazi
JABLONEC SUBS: Spit, Kysele, Romera, Travnik, Masopust, Tecl, Dolezal
AJAX SUBS: Boer, Van Rhijn, Heitinga, Viergever, Fischer, Sanogo, Schone
TEAM NEWS: So, that's how the two clubs will start this evening. Ajax have named the same lineup that began in Amsterdam last week, with Arkadiusz Milik and Anwar El-Ghazi leading the attack, while the visitors are also unchanged.
So, Ajax are the clear favourites to advance this evening and it is no wonder given their pedigree and experience. They have won the European Cup four times in their history and were also victorious in the UEFA Cup in 1992.
However, their last European triumph came 20 years ago and they have struggled to impose themselves on the biggest stage since. They did were actually in the third qualifying round of this year's Champions League, but things went horribly wrong for them.
The club were drawn against Rapid Wien and they would have fancied their chances of progressing after earning a 2-2 draw away from home. However, they were two goals down at the break in the return leg in Amsterdam, and despite fighting back to draw level in the second half, a late goal from Louis Schaub gave the Austrian's a 3-2 win to dump them out.
This will mark the fifth season in a row that they have dropped down from the Champions League to the Europa League, but it is much earlier than in previous campaigns. They had reached the group stage in those seasons, but on each occasion they finished in third place and failed to advance to the knockout rounds.
As well as putting together a good European run, Ajax will be hoping to wrestle back their Eredivisie title from PSV Eindhoven. They were comfortably beaten to the championship last season and ended up finishing a huge 17 points behind their rivals.
Frank de Boer's side have made a good start to the season on the domestic front, with three wins from their opening three league games. They haven't conceded a goal in that run, and if things continue in the same vein, then talk of a record 34th league title won't be too far off.
Many of us know all about Ajax, but what can we make of their opponents this evening? Jablonec booked their place in the Europa League by finishing third in the Czech First League last season, while they were runners up in the cup final, after losing to Slovan Liberec on penalties.
They have had a mixed start to their domestic campaign this season and sit fifth in the table, after two wins, two draws and a defeat from their opening five games. However, they warmed up for tonight's match by romping to a morale-boosting 3-0 victory over Zbrojovka Brno at the weekend.
The club don't have too much experience of European football, but they have been involved in qualifying for the group stages for four of the past six seasons. They were denied in the third qualifying round of this tournament four years ago by AZ Alkmaar, while two seasons ago they suffered an 8-1 aggregate defeat to Spanish club Real Betis in the playoffs.
Not many people would have expected them to make it this far after being drawn against Copenhagen in the third qualifying round and they were beaten 1-0 at home in the first leg. However, they stunned their Danish opponents by claiming a 3-2 in the return meeting to progress on away goals.
Here's how things were looking a little bit earlier at the Chance Arena as the visitors started to warm up.
Daar zijn de spelers! Tijd voor de warming-up! #UEL #jabaja pic.twitter.com/qq2f5BSLs4
— AFC Ajax (@AFCAjax) August 27, 2015
PREDICTION: It's tough to see Ajax being beaten this evening, but they have endured some difficult nights in Europe recently. They have a good platform to build upon and if they guard against complacency then I think they will prove too strong for their opponents. So, for those reasons I'm going to tip the Dutch club to claim another 1-0 win and make it through to the group stages.
While the action is about to get underway here, the draw for the group stage of the Champions League is taking place. You can find live coverage of the draw with us right here.
KICKOFF! We are underway at the Chance Arena!
SAVE! The hosts have made a bright start to the match and they have the first attempt on goal. Wagner is the man who tries his luck from just outside the box with a low strike towards the corner, but Cillessen is across his line well to push the ball to safety.
YELLOW CARD! This is a very harsh booking for Milik, who is adjudged to have dived inside the box by the referee. He had been slipped through on goal and appeared to be touched by the keeper as he took the ball past him, but instead the infringement is given against him.
Ajax have just started to see more of the ball and there is an air of composure about their play. They are looking to keep possession and wait for the chance to play Milik through, and they know that if they score another goal it will require the hosts to grab three to progress this evening.
It's still very much all Ajax on the ball and the home side are already being pushed back deep inside their own half. We haven't seen too many chances, but it is very open in the midfield I wouldn't bet against seeing a goal or two today.
De Boer must be happy at how his team are playing at the moment and they are beginning to get into some more advanced areas. El Ghazi looks as if he may find some joy down the right wing and his latest delivery is only just scrambled clear by the Jablonec defence.
YELLOW CARD! Crnkic is the second player to be shown a card this evening.
El Ghazi shows his danger once again as he latches onto a long kick from Cillessen and fires a cross into the box that is slightly out of the reach of Milik. Moments later Klaasen almost latches onto a loose ball inside the box, but the hosts get enough players back to clear.
The pressure is building now from the visitors and you've got to wonder how long Jablonec can hold out. Ajax have been delivering some great balls into the box and they have also won a number of corners, but so far the elusive breakthrough still awaits them.
SAVE! Out of absolutely nowhere the hosts have a chance of taking the lead as Crnkic finds himself through on goal. However, Cillessen rushes off his line quickly to save at the striker's feet to preserve his team's aggregate lead.
That attempt from Crnkic should serve Ajax as a reminder that this tie is far from over and their defence was too easily beaten on that occasion. A goal for the home side would really provide a boost to their players and the supporters, and more positive play like that could see them make the breakthrough.
This has been a decent spell in the game for the visitors and they have managed to push slightly further up the pitch. However, their forwards still look slightly stranded up front and they will be looking to provide support to them much sooner.
YELLOW CARD! It's another booking for the visitors and this time Bazoer is cautioned by the referee for bringing down Wagner.
CHANCE! This is about as close as either side have come in this opening half. Ajax win another corner and Gudelj whips in a teasing cross that is met at the back post by an unmarked Veltman, but he makes a complete mess of the shot and the home side are able to clear.
I must admit that I am slightly surprised we haven't seen a goal this evening. Maybe it was to be expected after a tight game in the first leg, but Ajax have certainly created enough decent openings and they should have made the keeper work a little harder.
YELLOW CARD! The referee has been slightly card happy this evening and he shows his fourth yellow card of the match to Gregus for a foul on Riedewald.
HALF-TIME: Jablonec 0-0 Ajax
The referee decides against adding any time on to the end of the half, with the two teams heading to the dressing rooms on level terms. The hosts have had a couple of dangerous moments, but Ajax have been largely in control and at the moment they are heading through thanks to their first-leg victory.
There's plenty more games taking place this evening in the Europa League and in the day's earliest kick off Kairat Almaty have claimed a 2-1 win over Bordeaux. However, the French side won 1-0 in the first leg and progress on away goals. A number of other teams including Borussia Dortmund, Southampton and Athletic Bilbao are in action later today, as they look to make the group stages.
I mentioned earlier that the draw for the group stage of the Champions League was taking place, and it has thrown up some tasty looking clashes. Arsenal are set to face Bayern Munich, Manchester City will take on Juventus and Sevilla, while Chelsea will go head-to-head with Jose Mourinho's former club Porto.
RESTART! Jablonec take the kick off for the second half!
SUBS! Each side has made a change at the start of the half, with Ajax bringing on Fischer for Sinkgraven and the hosts introducing Tecl for Wagner.
SHOT! Bazoer has the first effort on goal since the break, but it's not the best of strikes from the Ajax midfielder. He worked some room around 25 yards out from goal and fired in a powerful attempt, but it ended up flying out of the ground.
Ajax have made a dominant start to this second half and they are camped inside their opponents' half of the pitch. They look as if they want to quickly grab a second goal to kill this tie off for good.
The visitors are still very much in charge of this game, but they are finding it hard to get in behind the home side's defence. Jablonec are set up well defensively and it could take a real moment of class to break them down.
PENALTY TO JABLONEC! Well, this tie could be about to come to life as Riedewald handles a cross inside his own box and gives away a penalty!
MISSED PENALTY! Incredible scenes in the Czech Republic as Cillessen makes a world-class save to deny the hosts. Gregus took the spot kick and tried to place the ball into the bottom corner, but the Ajax keeper flung himself across his line to make the stop and tip it onto the post!
RED CARD TO AJAX! The visitors may have got away with the penalty, but they are going to finish the match with 10 men! Bazoer is the man who is sent off, for bringing down Gregus and picking up his second booking of the match.
De Boer must be furious with Bazoer for that challenge as his team now have to cling on for the next 30 minutes or so. They know that a goal for Jablonec will take the game to extra time, and they are sure to come under pressure from the Czech club.
The sending off has given an added belief to the hosts that they can cause an upset this evening. They are pushing more men into the box and getting the ball forward quicker, which is giving the Ajax defence much more work to do.
SUB! It's a second change of the match for the hosts, with Dolezal coming on for Crnkic.
SUB! Ajax are also making a change, as Van Rhijn replaces Milik.
OFF THE POST! What a chance for Ajax to finally confirm their place in the group stage. Gudelj whips in a dangerous corner that deflects kindly into the path of Dijks, but on the stretch, he can only guide the ball onto the outside of the post and wide of the target.
SUB! The hosts make their third and final change of the match, with Travniik coming on to replace Gregus.
SAVE! It's another big chance for Ajax as Fischer is found in the centre of the box by El Ghazi. A goal looks almost certain, but Hruby rushes off his line to block the strike from point-blank range.
CHANCE! Ajax are living dangerously and they come close to conceding as Tecl flicks a free kick on at the near post, but Cillessen reads it well and he gets down to parry the ball to safety. This really has been a fine display from the Dutch keeper, who has been strongly linked with a move to Manchester United in recent months.
It all kicks between the two teams as Mingazov brings down Tete down by the touchline. A number of players are quickly upon the referee, but the official diffuses the situation well and the match quickly resumes.
YELLOW CARD! El Ghazi is booked for time wasting, as Ajax try to waste vital seconds by delaying a corner.
CLOSE! Time is running out now the for the hosts, but they are still pushing forward and Pospisil finds some room outside the box. It opens up for him and he gets within shooting range, before firing in a low effort that skids a few inches wide of the post.
CHANCE! Once again Ajax have a big chance to wrap up the tie. From a fast break, Klaassen is slipped in down the right and he fires in a shot towards the far corner that edges narrowly wide of the target.
There are going to be three minutes of stoppage time.
CHANCE! Ajax will be furious if they let this slip now. They work another good opening and find El Ghazi on the edge of the box, but the striker's powerful attempt is beaten away by the keeper.
YELLOW CARD! Travnik picks up a late card for dragging down El Ghazi.
FULL-TIME: Jablonec 0-0 Ajax
It's all over in the Czech Republic and Ajax have held on to go through to the group stages. They did what was needed this evening after last week's win in the first leg. Things could have been very different had Jan Gregus scored from the spot, but you won't be hearing any complaints from Frank de Boer and his players.
Right, that's all from me this evening, but we've got more live European action coming up for you now, as Southampton take on FC Midtjylland. You can follow commentary of that crucial tie right here. Goodbye!
Written by
Alex Meyers
Alex Meyers
