Ajax 2-0 Atalanta: Arokodare and Ouazane strike late in Amsterdam

Two late goals gave Ajax a 2-0 win over Atalanta in the UEFA Conference League on Thursday night. Substitute Tolu Arokodare broke the deadlock three minutes from time, and 17-year-old Abdellah Ouazane, another second-half replacement, sealed it in stoppage time at the Johan Cruijff ArenA.

Match facts

• Result: Ajax 2-0 Atalanta (half-time 0-0)
• Competition: UEFA Conference League, League Phase, Matchday 2
• Venue: Johan Cruijff ArenA, Amsterdam
• Scorers: Ajax - Arokodare 87', Ouazane 90+3'; Atalanta - none
• Assists: Ajax - Baas (87'), Arokodare (90+3')
• Red cards: None
• Next: Atalanta v Frosinone (Serie A), Sunday 25 October, 14:00 UK; Sparta Rotterdam v Ajax (Eredivisie), Sunday 25 October; Atalanta v Kairat Almaty and Midtjylland v Ajax (Conference League), Thursday 5 November, both 17:45 UK

How the match unfolded

Ajax came closest early on. In the sixth minute Lucas Rosa's shot took a deflection off Gianluca Gaetano and hit the post. Atalanta answered through Gianluca Scamacca, whose shot from inside the box was deflected behind in the 14th minute.

Marco Carnesecchi kept Maurizio Sarri's side level for most of the night. The Atalanta goalkeeper saved from Jorthy Mokio in the 28th minute and twice denied Oscar Gloukh, in the 32nd and 44th minutes. Sofyan Amrabat was booked for a foul on Scamacca just before half-time.

Carnesecchi stopped Julian Brandt's angled effort two minutes after the restart and Rosa's shot in the 54th minute. At the other end, Nicola Zalewski went down in the Ajax box in the 61st minute, but the referee waved play on and a VAR check confirmed there was no penalty.

Míchel Sánchez changed his attack in the 62nd minute, sending on Ouazane and Viktor Tsygankov for Gloukh and Davy Klaassen. Arokodare replaced Marcos Leonardo four minutes later. Atalanta brought on Lazar Samardžić, Nikola Krstović, Mario Pašalić and Jonathan Rowe, and Rowe went closest for the visitors in the 83rd minute, when Marc-André ter Stegen saved his shot from close range.

Ajax went ahead in the 87th minute. Youri Baas set up Arokodare, who drove a right-footed shot from the centre of the box into the bottom right corner. Ter Stegen was booked in the second minute of the three added on, and a minute later Arokodare turned provider, with Ouazane firing a left-footed shot from a tight angle on the left high into the net.

What it means

The win lifts Ajax to three points after their opening 2-1 defeat at Hajduk Split, a game Sánchez had called "our worst match of the season" on the eve of this one. Atalanta, who beat Pafos 3-1 on Matchday 1, also have three points and have lost two in a row after Sunday's 3-2 defeat at AC Milan.

Atalanta's next game is at home to Frosinone, who beat Sassuolo 4-2 last week. In the Conference League, Brighton started with a 4-0 win over Kauno Žalgiris.

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