Ajax’s Frenkie de Jong believes “a little luck” could be the difference between a Champions League exit to Real Madrid and a famous victory for the Dutch side over the European champions.
The Eredivisie giants will face 13-time winners Real over two legs in the last 16, beginning with Wednesday’s meeting at the Johan Cruyff Arena.
Ajax haven’t reached the quarter-finals of Europe’s top club competition since 2003, when they were beaten by eventual winners AC Milan, and won the last of their four European crowns in 1995.
Editors' Picks
And De Jong, who will leave Ajax at the end of the season to join Real’s great rivals Barcelona, believes there is everything to play for against a team that has won four of the last five Champions League titles.