Dutch giants Ajax travel to Latvia to take on Rigas Futbola Skola in their penultimate League Phase fixture in the Europa League on Thursday night.
While the hosts find themselves towards the bottom of the 36-team standings, the visitors are pushing to secure an automatic spot in the last 16.
Match preview
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Competing in the Europa League for the first time in their history, Rigas Futbola Skola are one of only five clubs in the 36-team table who have failed to win any of their first six matches in the newly-formed League Phase of this season's competition.
RFS most recently lost 2-1 at Maccabi Tel-Aviv on December 12, a result that leaves them in 34th place in the standings with only two points, five behind the last-16 playoff positions with only two games remaining.
Viktors Morozs's side finished their domestic campaign at the end of November last year, winning the Latvian top-flight title for the third time in four seasons, and they have since been taking part in friendly fixtures to maintain their fitness levels for the Europa League.
Since their aforementioned defeat to Maccabi Tel-Aviv, RFS have won two and drawn one out of three friendly matches, with a 2-1 defeat to Nomme Kalju sandwiched between a thumping 7-0 win over Super Nova and a 1-0 success at Zalgiris last weekend.
RFS head into Thursday's encounter with Ajax having failed to win any of their previous 12 European matches (D4 L8) - the only two teams in history who have played more games without ever winning in Europe are Liechtenstein-based outfit Vaduz (16) and Cypriot side Pezoporkos Larnaka (14).
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After being knocked out in the last 16 of the KNVB Beker to AZ Alkmaar, Ajax returned to winning ways last weekend when they secured a 2-0 victory against Heerenveen to boost their hopes of winning the Eredivisie title.
Goals either side of half time from Josip Sutalo and Chuba Akpom helped the Amsterdam giants move to within a point of Eredivisie leaders and reigning champions PSV Eindhoven, who suffered their second defeat in four matches last time out.
Before locking horns with Feyenoord in their next Dutch top-flight fixture on February 2, Francesco Farioli's side will focus solely on their final two Europa League matches against RFS and Galatasaray as they attempt to avoid elimination at the first hurdle for the second successive season.
Ajax currently sit 11th in the 36-team table with 10 points from six matches (W3 D1 L2) and they are just one point behind the top eight where they need to finish if they wish to guarantee last-16 qualification.
De Godenzonen enter Thursday's first-ever meeting with RFS having won only one of their last eight Europa League away games, but they will be boosted by the fact that Dutch clubs have won six of their previous eight European encounters with Latvian opposition, with six clean sheets kept in the process.
Team News
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RFS will be without Ismael Diomande, Martins Kigurs (both knee) and Emerson Deocleciano (leg) as they continue to recover from injury.
Adam Markhiyev will be leaving the club to join Aris Limassol next month, but he is in contention to start in centre-midfield on Thursday alongside Stefan Panic and Dmitrijs Zelenkovs.
Janis Ikaunieks has scored a team-high seven goals across 10 Europa League matches this term (including qualifiers) and he could be supported in attack by Cedric Kouadio.
As for Ajax, Benjamin Tahirovic (concussion) and Owen Wijndal (knee) will be assessed, while Jorrel Hato is suspended having picked up three yellow cards in the League Phase. Davy Klaassen, meanwhile, is ineligible.
Devyne Rensch is on the verge of joining Roma, so Anton Gaaei could be tasked with playing at left-back, while Sutalo and Youri Baas are set to continue in the heart of the defence.
Kenneth Taylor is Ajax's top scorer this term with nine goals and is in contention to start again in midfield next to Jordan Henderson and either Branco van den Boomen or Kian Fitz-Jim, while Akpom will continue to battle with Brian Brobbey for a start up front.
Rigas Futbola Skola possible starting lineup:
Ondoa; Njie, Prenga, Lipuscek; Savalnieks, Markhiev, Panic, Zelenkovs, Odisharia; Ikaunieks, Kouadio
Ajax possible starting lineup:
Pasveer; Rugani, Baas, Sutalo, Gaaei; Van den Boomen, Henderson, Taylor; Berghuis, Akpom, Godts
We say: Rigas Futbola Skola 0-2 Ajax
RFS are bidding to keep their slim hopes of last-16 qualification alive, but they will enter Thursday's fixture as underdogs against an Ajax side hoping to strengthen their pursuit of a top-eight finish.
The hosts will hope to give a good account of themselves, but we feel that the visitors will ultimately have too much for them in Latvia and should have few problems securing maximum points.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Oliver Thomas
