Brighton eased to a 2-0 win away at Ajax thanks to goals from Ansu Fati and Simon Adingra
Ajax remain winless in the 2023/24 Europa League season following a 2-0 defeat to Brighton at the Johan Cruyff Arena.
Goals in either half from Ansu Fati and Simon Adingra were enough to seal all three points for the Premier League side.
Fans of Ajax might have been fooled into a false sense of security after the club won their last two games against Volendam and Heerenveen but Brighton have now brought them back to reality.
23:43 - 07.11.2023
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The result takes Brighton temporarily top of Group B with seven points from four games pending the result of Marseille v AEK Athens while Ajax remain firmly bottom of the group and winless.
Ajax 0-2 Brighton
Ajax actually started the game on the front foot with Steven Berghuis and Kenneth Taylor forcing Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen into action early on.
But it was Brighton who broke the deadlock in the 15th minute when Simon Adingra intercepted a loose ball, drove forward and slotted in Ansu Fati, who coolly applied the finish to put the Seagulls in front.
Adingra came close to doubling the visitors’ lead as halftime approached, but Ajax goalkeeper Diant Ramaj was wise to his near-post strike and turned it around the post with his outstretched boot.
The 21-year-old Ivorian was not to be denied in the second half though as he combined brilliantly once again with Fati in the 53rd minute to score the second goal of the game.
John van ‘t Schip’s men had chances to get on the board with at least a goal but strikers Brian Brobbey and Chuba Akpom spurned the chances.
Ajax’s Europa League fate is well and truly out of their hands as they sit bottom of the group with two games against Marseille and AEK Athens left to play.