Osimhen, Akpom learn Europa league playoff opponents

Ayomide Akinkuade
3 Min Read

Nigerian strikers Victor Osimhen and Chuba Akpom have discovered their Europa League playoff opponents as Galatasaray will face off against AZ Alkmaar, while Ajax will take on Union St.Gilloise in thrilling playoff clashes.

Galatasaray had a league phase of mixed fortunes, losing only one game, but unfortunately not securing automatic qualification to the next round. Despite their strong performance, they finished 14th with 13 points, narrowly missing out on an automatic spot in the round of 16.

AZ Alkmaar, on the other hand, secured a playoff spot despite losing their final game, finishing 19th with 11 points. The Dutch side will be looking to bounce back from their disappointing league phase and make a strong push for the next round.

Osimhen, Akpom learn Europa league playoff opponents
Full Europa league playoff draw

The playoffs will begin on February 13th as Galatasaray will travel to Netherlands to face AZ Alkmaar before hosting them for the return leg a week later.

Galatasaray will rely heavily on Victor Osimhen, who has been outstanding in the Europa league so far. The Nigerian international was named the second-best player of the tournament so far by WhoScored and is the joint third-highest goal scorer with five goals.

Meanwhile, Chuba Akpom’s Ajax finished 12th despite defeating Galatasaray 2-1 in their final league phase game and the Dutch giants will face Union St.Gilloise, who narrowly qualified for the playoffs by finishing 21st with 11 points.

The first leg of the highly anticipated matchup will take place on February 13th, with Ajax traveling to Belgium to face Union SG before hosting them for the second leg one week later.

Akpom played a crucial role in Ajax’s qualification for the Europa League at the beginning of the season, scoring a hat-trick against Jagiellonia Bialystok. He also contributed to their 2-1 win over Galatasaray, coming on as a substitute and forcing a save from Fernando Muslera, which ultimately led to Bertrand Traore’s goal.

Ajax will be counting on Akpom’s skills once again in the playoffs, as they seek to qualify for the round of 16 and make a deep run in the competition.

FULL EUROPA LEAGUE PLAYOFF DRAW

Ferencvaros vs Viktoria Plzen

Porto vs Roma

Galatasaray vs AZ Alkmaar

Real Sociedad vs Midtjylland

Ajax vs Union St.Gilloise

FCSB vs PAOK

Bodo/Glimt vs Twente

Fenerbahçe vs Anderlecht

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