DID YOU KNOW?
* These two sides have previous, having met in the 1997-98 UEFA Cup quarter-finals, which Spartak won 4-1 on aggregate before losing their semi-final to Inter, the eventual winners of the competition.
* Curiously, both Ajax coach Frank de Boer and his assistant Danny Blind played for Ajax in both legs of that tie. Andrei Tikhonov, who now serves as an assistant for Valeri Karpin, also featured in both legs for Spartak.
* To date, Spartak are the only Russian side that Ajax have ever faced in a competitive fixture.
* In the 13 matches that Frank de Boer has overseen so far as Ajax coach, his side have kept an impressive 10 clean sheets, and have won their last three European fixtures by keeping a clean sheet
* Both sides entered the competition late, having been eliminated from the Champions League in the group stages. This is the only round of 16 tie containing two teams who competed in that competition earlier in the season.
* Along with Manchester City keeper Shay Given, Glasgow-born Aiden McGeady is one of only two Irish players left in the competition, and the final will be held in Dublin.
LAST MEETING
March 17, 1998: Spartak 1-0 Ajax
Spartak took a healthy 3-1 aggregate lead into the fixture thanks to a memorable away win in Amsterdam, and a single goal from Aleksandr Shirko in the 85th minute guaranteed them a semi-final berth.
PROBABLE LINE-UPS
Ajax: Stekelenburg; Blind, Vertonghen, Alderweireld, Van der Wiel; Eriksen, Anita, De Zeeuw; Ebicilio, De Jong, Sulejmani
Spartak: Dikan; Makeev, Suchy, Rojo, K. Kombarov; Carioca, Sheshukov; D. Kombarov, Alex, McGeady; Welliton
Prediction
Ajax 2-1 Spartak 
