Frankfurt has a straightforward task: not lose, and they'll reach the quarter - finals, where they'll face either Tottenham Hotspur or AZ Alkmaar.

Their form in Europe this season should instill a great deal of confidence. Frankfurt has won their last three matches at Deutsche - Bank Park without conceding. This is their best run in over 30 years.

During the league phase, the only goals Toppmoller's team conceded at home can be attributed more to complacency than anything else. This was against Viktoria Plzen, when they drew 3 - 3 despite being two goals ahead with four minutes remaining.

Nonetheless, RFS, Slavia Prague, and Ferencvaros were no match for the Bundesliga club. Their performances contributed to Frankfurt finishing fifth in the league phase.

Also, when winning the first leg away from home, Frankfurt have advanced to the next round on all seven previous occasions, giving the home support more reasons to be confident.

Positive statistics are much needed at the moment, because Frankfurt's league form has fallen off a cliff in recent weeks.

No home team has won a Bundesliga match in the past two matchdays, and Frankfurt were beaten on both weekends, 4-1 against Bayer Leverkusen, and 2-1 on Sunday versus Union Berlin.

Eintracht led after an hour, but conspired to throw those three points away against a Union side that had lost three in a row heading into the fixture, with Hugo Ekitike also missing a 95th-minute penalty that would have salvaged a point.

They are still in the top four, but are just one point above Freiburg following three successive defeats, as they were the last away team to lose a game in the German top flight - 4-0 at Bayern on February 23.

Keeping up their 100% record at home to Dutch clubs will help to alleviate those domestic issues though, in what will be a first meeting against a club from the Netherlands here since the 1980-81 season, when Frankfurt beat Utrecht 3-1.

Ajax rarely enjoy their trips to Germany either, winning just one of the last five - 3-1 at Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League in 2021.

After losing the first leg at home, Ajax have gone on to suffer elimination in eight of the previous nine European ties, but the one exception was their remarkable 4-1 win away to Real Madrid in 2019, so Francesco Farioli will hope his troops can dig in and find a similar performance here.

Forcing extra time may not be a bad idea for the visitors, who have progressed from the last four European ties that have required it, including in the last round against all odds with 10 men against Union SG.

Spirits will have been lifted by the 1-0 win at Zwolle over the weekend that maintained their eight-point lead over PSV Eindhoven at the top of the Eredivisie, but early elimination from Europe will be a slight disappointment, especially after also going out of the KNVB Beker to AZ at the start of the year, the team they could face in the quarter-finals if they advance here.

The first leg's match-winner Skhiri will be available again after he missed the weekend defeat against Union Berlin through suspension, but he will need to watch his step as he is close to a ban in Europe as well.

Nnamdi Collins is suspended though after being booked in the first leg, joining Igor Matanovic (foot), Aurele Amenda (unregistered) and Timothy Chandler (hamstring) on the sidelines here.

Michy Batshuayi scored his first Frankfurt goal at the weekend, and could partner Ekitike up front, with the Frenchman needing a lift after his late penalty miss at the weekend, extending his recent form to just two goals in eight matches.

Ajax's Jordan Henderson registered his first Europa League assist since 2012 in the first leg, but he was also cautioned, so the ex-England international will miss this clash through suspension.

Davy Klaassen has served his ban following the red card he received in the second leg against Union SG last month, but Wout Weghorst (foot), Youri Regeer (ankle) and Owen Wijndal (knee) will miss out.

Remko Pasveer was forced off in the first leg with injury, and January signing Matheus is not a part of Ajax's Europa League squad, so Jay Gorter is set to be the man tasked with donning the gloves for the visitors in this one.

Eintracht Frankfurt possible starting lineup:

Trapp; Kristensen, Tuta, Theate, Brown; Knauff, Larsson, Skhiri, Gotze; Ekitike, Batshuayi

Ajax possible starting lineup:

Gorter; Gaaei, Sutalo, Baas, Hato; Fitz-Jim, Mokio, Taylor; Berghuis, Brobbey, Godts