The Amsterdam side beat Royale USG 2-0 in Brussels on a muddy and previously disapproved pitch - Christian Rasmussen and Jorthy Mokio made the difference with their second-half goals. Back in Amsterdam, Ajax closed it out with a hard-fought 2-1 loss, thanks to an extra-time goal that won the tie 3-2 on aggregate.
Ajax last reached the round of 16 in the UEFA Europa League in the 2020/21 season, when they beat Swiss side Young Boys 5-0 over two legs. This season, the Dutch giants will face Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt in the next phase of the European competition.
Eintracht Frankfurt have little to no history with Ajax - the only time the two ever met was in a friendly game in August 2020. West Ham ace Mohamed Kudus and the since-convicted Quincy Promes both struck for Ajax in a 2-1 win.
By drawing Eintracht Frankfurt, Ajax avoided a reunion with Olympique Lyon. The two sides faced off in the semi-finals of the 2016/17 UEFA Europa League campaign, which resulted in Ajax going to their first European final since 1996.
Ajax and Eintracht Frankfurt will face off on March 6th and 13th, starting with a game in Amsterdam before heading to Frankfurt for the second leg.