Kiev Dynamo in the playoff round of the Champions League will play with the Amsterdam Ajax.

Kiev Dynamo overcame the first stage of the Champions League qualification, defeating Prague Slavia. Amsterdam Ajax, in contrast to Kiev, began his career in the Champions League for a round earlier. And managed to alternately pass the Austrian Sturm and the Belgian Standard.

The first match of Dynamo and Ajax will be held on August 22 in Amsterdam, the second - on August 28 at the NSC Olympic.

Ajax does not need much introduction, but we will try to refresh your knowledge about the team and tell you what it is at the moment from itself.

Founded: 1900 Stadium: Johan Cruyff Arena (53,502) Ajax has been in the stadium since 1996, and earlier he was called Amsterdam-ArenA, but after the death of the legendary Johan Cruyff, it was decided to rename the stadium in his honor.

View the stadium in Google Street View.

Coach: Erik ten Hag Last summer, Amsterdam's club left the head coach Peter Bos, who led the team to the final of the Europa League and later moved to Dortmund Borussia. He was succeeded by Marcel Kaiser, but he finished only until December, after which he was fired.

December 21, 2017 the club announced the appointment of head coach of the 47-year-old Eric ten Hag, who at that time worked in Utrecht. For a season before that, ten Hag led Utrecht to fourth place in Eredivizi, another season before was 5th place, and the specialist took the club after 11 positions in the standings of the season 2014/15.

For half a year with Ajax ten Hag managed to keep the second position in the championship. The bike in Ajax, Ten Hag did not come up and continued to play on the standard Dutch scheme 4-3-3.

Achievements: Champions of the Netherlands (33 times, record), Cup holder (18, record), Super Cup winner (8), Champions League / Champions Cup (1971, 1972, 1973, 1995), UEFA Cup-1992, UEFA Super Cup (3) , The Cup of the Cup Winners-1987, the Intercontinental Cup (2).

Last season: 2 nd place Ajax could not win the final of the Europa League of the 2016/17 season, as well as win the national championship, so in the new season the Amsterdamers started in the main tournament of the Old World with the third qualifier of the round. And then flew out. With Nice, Ajax twice tied, but missed home more than on the road.

In the playoff round of the Europa League, not the most formidable Rosenborg got caught, but the Norwegians beat Ajax twice and did away with the Eurocups in August. In December, in 1/8 finals, Ajax flew out of the country's Cup, losing on Twente's penalty, and this was the last straw for the leadership, which sacked Marcel Kaiser.

At that time, the team was on the second place with a backlog of 4 points from PSV. After the arrival of ten Haga, little has changed, and Ajax and finished the season second with a lag of 4 points.

Transfer campaign:.

This summer Ajax parted with just one important player of the ground - Justin Kluivert, who went to Roma.

As for purchases, Ajax made a record for the club transfer, returning the pupil of Daley Blind from the MJ. Also, a 29-year-old Serbian midfielder Dusan Tadic from Southampton was acquired, and 25-year-old Zakaria Labiad from Utrecht, with whom the head coach is well acquainted on teamwork.

This season:.

The championship of the Netherlands only started in the last weekend, and there Ajax immediately suffered losses. The houses of "God's sons" failed to beat Heracles. In addition, they were the first to miss at the 84th minute, but still managed to escape from defeat, scoring after 4 minutes.

Better things are the team in the Champions League. The first rivals of the "ajaxids" became Austrian Stur. In the first match at Johan Cruyff Arena Ajax won a confident victory with a score of 2: 0. A week later in Austria there was another victory, which only because of the ridiculous goal-goal of goalkeeper Onan did not become devastating.

Liege Standard delivered more problems, but only in one half of a two-legged confrontation. The first away match Ajax started with two goals scored, but in the second half missed first in the middle of the half, and then - on the 4th compensated minute from the penalty spot.

At home match Ajax left already knowing that in case of a satisfactory result, in the next round they will meet with Kiev Dynamo. The intrigue in the match lasted a little longer than half an hour. At the 30th and 34th minutes Huntelaar and De Ligt scored after flanking innings. In the fact that the Standard again will recoup, almost did not believe, and in the first minute of the second half Neresh all doubts broke. He scored after Tadic, who performed Zidane - it is necessary to see.

August 18, before the match with Dynamo, Ajax will play another match - in the away championship against BBV Venlo.

Composition:.

As mentioned above, Ajax plays the standard 4-3-3.

The main first number of the team for the third consecutive season remains Cameroonian goalkeeper Andre Onana. It was he who invariably left in the start of all five official matches of the current season. On the bench, suddenly what, there is a Greek Constantinos Lampru.

The four defenders are (from right to left): 20-year-old Nussair Mazraoui, 19-year-old Matejs de Ligt, 28-year-old rookie Daile Blind and 25-year-old Argentine Nicholas Talyafico.

In the midfield, Ajax is not so unambiguous. Here in the top three centerhavs appeared on the field Ziesh, van de Beek, Frankie De Jong, Dane Lasse Schone and 20-year-old Karel Eiting. Most likely, this line will line up according to who will be in better shape and here one can expect anyone.

But the top three forwards will be much easier to predict. Dusan Tadic only came to the club, and already firmly took the place at the base and became almost the leader of the team. On his account 2 goals and 2 assistants in five games.

His place at the center of the attack is unlikely to give someone a 35-year-old legend, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar. The veteran regularly scores - 4 goals - and in the case of which there is a young Kai Sirheys, who shows himself well, going on to replace. Casper Dolberg injured and the timing of his return is not reported.

The third in the attack will be the Brazilian David Neresh. He started all five games of the season at the start, scored one goal and gave up two assistants, and is unlikely to lose his place at the base to fights with Dynamo.