Ajax, Inter Milan, RB Salzburg: Rating each club's chances of winning Europa League 2019-20

The Champions League Group Stage is now over and Amsterdam giants Ajax, Inter Milan, and Austria's RB Salzburg are out of Europe's premier cup competition and will now compete in the Europa League. The fate of the three teams was decided on Matchday 6 of the Group Stage. They will now join teams like Manchester United, Arsenal, Borrusia Monchengladbach, Roma among others in the Round of 32 of the second-tier European competition.

Last season's semifinalists Ajax were at the top of the group at the conclusion of Matchday 5 with 10 points, followed by Chelsea and Valencia at 8 points each. The Dutch club lost their ultimate group stage game against Valencia at the Johan Cruijff Arena, paving the way for Chelsea to progress to the knockouts.

Inter Milan had a do-or-die scenario on Matchday 6, where they had to beat last season's semifinalists Barcelona to qualify for the knockouts. The San Siro club couldn't beat a second-string Barcelona starting lineup, despite having a host of chances and crashed out of the group stage of Champions League for a second consecutive year.

RB Salzburg, too, had a do-or-die contest on their hands against the current European champions Liverpool in Austria. Despite their exciting playing style and goal-scoring ability, the Austrian club fell to the might of the Reds and lost the match by 2 goals to none.

While playing in the Europa League is not the ideal scenario for clubs like Ajax and Inter Milan, it is still a chance to win a European trophy.

RB Salzburg would view it as a chance to still play and have a shot at winning the Europa League. Can Antonio Conte rally his troops to a Europa League win and take Inter Milan to the top tier of European once again? Will Ajax make amends for their Champions League exit? Here, we rate the chances of each of the three teams of winning the Europa League 2019-20.

3. RB Salzburg

Can the youngsters power through the Europa League?

Strengths

This season's Champions League run was an unpredictable one for RB Salzburg. Lead by young sensation Erling Braut Haaland, Salzburg scored 16 goals throughout the competition while conceding 13 along the way.

The Austrian club, coached by Jesse Marsch, play a high intensity 4-2-2-2 formation in tandem with an alternate 3-man-defence set up. Their expansive style of play is very attractive and the system has provided great goal returns. Along with Haaland, Takumi Minamino and Hwang Hee-Chan have been instrumental in the good performances of the team.

Weakness

A good defence is key to progress into the later stages of a European competition. RB Salzburg have struggled defensively this season and while they are likely to go through the Round of 32 and 16 without much effort, they could face good teams in the later stages of the competition. In a knock out scenario, failure to keep a clean sheet will be key for the aspirations of this young team.

Barring the 2017-18 season, where they reached the semifinals of the Europa League, RB Salzburg hasn't regularly qualified for even the quarter-final stages of a European league. This fact combined with the uncertainty in defence, suggests that winning this year's Europa League competition would be hard work for Jesse Marsch's boys.

The transfer market will also affect the club's Europa League run. Haaland has certainly attracted many top clubs around Europe and it wouldn't be unwise to assume a transfer saga commencing around the Norwegian in the January 2020 transfer window along with other up-and-coming players in the squad, with Minamino said to have been set for a move to Anfield.

All in all, it seems as if winning the Europa League is a far fetched idea for RB Salzburg at this point. For all their attacking prowess and high-intensity play, their chances of winning the Europa League look bleak due to the defence and potential outgoing players.

Chances of winning - 2/5

Also check out: Seria A table Champions League table Champions League Schedule

2. AFC Ajax

Can Ajax make up for their Champions League exit?

Ajax's exit from the Champions League this season was a surprise to many. They were comfortably placed at the top of the group until the beginning of Matchday 6, where they needed a win or a draw to qualify into the next round. They ultimately lost the match to Valencia, registering a spot for themselves in the Europa League round of 32.

Strength

The Dutch team scored 12 goals this term in the Champions League while conceding 6 in the process. Manager Erik ten Hag has done a great job in helping the squad deal with the loss of crucial players like Frenkie De Jong and Matthijs De Ligt. Their defence has been solid throughout the season, having conceded only 14 goals in their Eredivisie in 16 matches so far.

Daley Blind and Joel Veltman have formed a good partnership at the back for Ajax, while Dusan Tadic and Hakim Ziyech have resumed their good work in the goalscoring department from last season. The attacking and possession style of play remains the core strength of this Ajax side.

Weakness

While there is a good balance between the attack and defence, and youth and experience in the side, ten Hag would be hoping for some good fortune for his players who can make an impact in crunch situations of a tie.

Matthijs De Ligt and Frenkie De Jong came up with match-winning performances in the knockout phases against teams like Real Madrid and Juventus. Replacing those impact players has proved to be hard work for the Dutch side and it is one of the reasons why they have crashed out of the Champions League.

Considering the participation of teams such as Manchester United, Inter Milan, AS Roma and Arsenal in the competition, the Dutch club cannot be branded as favourites to win the Europa League.

Chances of winning: 3.5/5

1. Inter Milan

Inter Milan suffered a heartbreak yet again in the Champions League

Inter Milan were drawn in the group of death in the Champions League alongside Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund. They were unlucky to go out after a cruel loss to Barcelona on Matchday 6. The only reason they couldn't make it into the next round is that they were in a tough group where three out of the four sides had a fair chance of not qualifying into the next round.

Strength

Inter Milan scored 9 in the Champions League campaign in 6 games. The defence has been solid with the trio of Stefan de Vrij, Diego Godin, and Milan Skriniar conceding the least amount of goals in the 15 Serie A matches so far. What goes in favour of the Nerazzurri is the fact that they can defend even a one-goal lead if they have to.

Attacking wise, Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez have clicked together and formed a lethal partnership in front of goal. The duo has already scored 25 goals combined in Champions League and Serie A.

Apart from their rugged footballing philosophy, Inter have lots of experienced heads in the squad who can step up and perform when it is required. Diego Godin has reached 2 Champions League finals and has won Europa League recently in the 2017-18 season. This means that there is a less chance of occasion getting the better of the players in later stages of the competition.

Weakness

While Inter Milan have experienced heads in their ranks, they have failed to click together as a team when the occasion demands. They have already lost two crucial matches at home to Juventus and Barcelona in the Serie A and the Champions League respectively. A 'big game mentality' needs to kick into the squad.

Also, another crucial aspect is to be seen is how Antonio Conte can balance their Serie A title charge with midweek Europa League fixtures. They currently lead the Serie A and winning a trophy is crucial to Antonio Conte's success this season.

For all their deficiencies, Inter Milan have too much quality and it is a matter of time before they begin to cohesively perform well and dominate the big games. Inter Milan should be considered one of the favourites for the Europa League 2019-20 title.

Chances of winning: 4/5