Atalanta failed to make the most of their chances and were undone by two late Ajax goals from Tolu Arodokare and talent Abdella Ouazane.
La Dea had seemingly found some form after three straight defeats with wins over Venezia and Pafos, but stumbled again in a 3-2 loss to Milan at the weekend. Sead Kolasinac joined Giorgio Scalvini, Isak Hien, Odilon Kossounou, Franck Kessie, Kamaldeen Sulemana and Giacomo Raspadori on the treatment table, so youth team defender Relja Obric got his first start, just days after his senior debut.
Dutch giants Ajax have fallen on hard times, losing the opening Conference League game 2-1 to Hajduk Split, but ended a month-long wait for a victory by beating FC Groningen 5-2 last week. They too had an injury crisis, missing Daley Blind, Steven Berghuis, Oliver Edvardsen, Caio Henrique, Simon Adingra, Anton Gaaei and Kasper Dolberg, while Yves Bissouma is not on the UEFA list.
Atalanta already conquered the Johan Crujiff ArenA with a famous 1-0 Champions League victory in December 2020.
See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.
Ajax hit the woodwork in the opening minutes, as Gianluca Gaetano deflected the Lucas Rosa strike onto the upright with Marco Carnesecchi beaten.
Gianluca Scamacca nodded wide from a corner, while Ajax had the ball in the net after 16 minutes, but a long time after Davy Klaassen was flagged offside.
Owen Wijndal fired wide from distance, while Carnesecchi was ready for the Oscar Gloukh solo effort, but on the stroke of half-time Gaetano ballooned over from just inside the area.
Carnesecchi stuck out a boot to deny Julian Brandt’s strike straight after the restart, while Nicola Zalewski and the Brandt glancing header both flashed wide.
The Atalanta goalkeeper had to parry another tricky Rosa daisy-cutter from distance, but the Italians started to push hard and Klaassen got away with a very risky sliding tackle on Zalewski in the penalty area.
Zalewski then picked the wrong pass with several options on the counter after Scamacca intercepted a wayward pass in the final third, while Lazar Samardzic blasted just over the bar.
Tolu Arodokare came on and failed to make the most of a Brandt lay-off, scuffing the first-time finish horribly from inside the area.
After Jonathan Rowe and Zalewski didn’t get their efforts on target, and once again Obric showed his lack of experience in only his second senior match.
A long ball over the top from Baas saw Tolu Arodokare muscle Obric aside in the leap, going clear on goal to beat Carnesecchi one-on-one.
The last kick of the game allowed Ajax to get a second, as Abdellah Ouazane burst into the area down the left with some cheeky movements and smashed his finish in off the underside of the crossbar from the tightest of angles.
Ajax 2-0 Atalanta
Tolu Arodokare 87 (Aj), Ouazane 93 (Aj)
Player statistic
| Sofyan Amrabat | 45' |
| 68' | Lazar Samardžić | |||
| 86' | Nicola Zalewski | |||
| Tolu Arokodare (Assist: Youri Baas) |
87' | |||
| Abdellah Ouazane (Assist: Tolu Arokodare) |
 |
90+3' | ||
| Marc ter Stegen |  |
90+4' |
