Late goals from substitutes Tolu Arokodare and Abdellah Ouazane handed Ajax a dramatic 2-0 UEFA Conference League victory over Atalanta. The Amsterdammers ended an eight-game winless streak against Italian opposition as Michel's side claimed their first points of the campaign.
Late bench heroics hand Ajax first Conference League points
Ajax claimed their first three points of the UEFA Conference League phase with a hard-fought 2-0 victory against Atalanta at the Johan Cruijff Arena. Michel's side controlled much of the contest but struggled to break through, seeing Lucas Rosa hit the post and a Jorthy Mokio effort disallowed for offside.
The Dutch giants finally made their dominance count in the 87th minute when substitute Tolu Arokodare collected Youri Baas' long ball to finish coolly past Marco Carnesecchi.
Seventeen-year-old substitute Abdellah Ouazane then sealed the result in stoppage time with a magnificent individual goal.
Arokodare and Ouazane reflect on decisive substitute appearances
Speaking after his opener, Arokodare praised the team's response following recent setbacks. "We didn't play the way we wanted to over the past few weeks, drawing games or even losing," Arokodare noted. "The last two games, including this one – that’s the way we want play. We’re a top-level team with great players, and we want to show our talent."
Goalscorer Ouazane expressed delight over his solo strike while keeping his career goals in perspective. "Whenever I get the ball I want to go forwards; I’m not so interested in passing the ball backwards," Ouazane told Ziggo.
"I’m just trying to improve every day," Ouazane added. "There are plenty of players who make their mark at 17 but you don’t hear of them any more when they’re 25. I don’t want that to happen to me."
Leonardo remains positive as Sarri laments late collapse
Starting forward Marcos Leonardo expressed relief at the victory despite missing personal scoring opportunities. "There was a good energy in our team tonight," Leonardo told Ziggo. "I’m a centre forward, and I know I have to score, but unfortunately it’s not happening for me at the moment... I know the goals will come again."
From the opposing camp, Atalanta head coach Maurizio Sarri rued second-half defensive lapses after holding firm for long periods. "In the second half, we made more mistakes than in the first," Sarri acknowledged.
"The mistakes can be addressed through training... right now, I have to hold onto the fact that we delivered a truly solid performance in a difficult European match," Sarri added.
Amsterdammers end Italian hoodoo and look ahead
The victory ended Ajax's eight-match winless run against Italian clubs stretching back to April 2019, while also delivering a long-awaited home win for their supporters. "We’re happy and we’re glad that the fans enjoyed it," Arokodare reflected. "We hadn’t won at home for three or four games, so it was great that we could give them that."
Both clubs now turn their attention to Matchday 3 of the Conference League in two weeks' time.
Ajax travel to Denmark to face Midtjylland on November 5, while Atalanta host Kazakh side Kairat Almaty in Bergamo.
A sports journalist with nearly a decade of experience, beginning the professional journey at Indonesia's legendary Tabloid BOLA from 2017 until its final print edition in December 2018. Following that, joining GOAL, contributing as a freelance writer for FIFA, and working within the media department of the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF). Alongside the journalism career, also active as a live play-by-play commentator for Indonesian football since 2017. Holds a bachelor's degree in History from the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Padjadjaran, Bandung.
Football Story
Footballing identity built on geography, heritage, and childhood obsession. Although the father played for a traditional rival club, nine years living in Bandung made Persib a spiritual home, sparked in 2006 by Thai goalkeeper Kosin Hathairattanakool and witnessing firsthand how deeply locals own the club. Globally, the first true love was Ronaldo and Inter Milan, enduring the heartbreak of near-misses during injury-plagued years. With Dutch roots in Rotterdam, making Feyenoord the club of choice, the Netherlands national team has always remained close to the heart, highlighted by the 2010 World Cup final, a live 2013 friendly against Indonesia, and Oranje Indonesia watch parties. Arjen Robben and Giovanni van Bronckhorst remain ultimate favorites, while Football Manager 2005 sparked a lasting admiration for Athletic Bilbao’s philosophy. Outside football, allegiance lies with the Chicago Bulls and Golden State Warriors through icons like Michael Jordan, Derrick Rose, and Stephen Curry.
Areas of Expertise
Areas of expertise span Indonesian football and Liga 1 data insights and unique features, alongside Southeast Asian and East Asian football landscapes covering Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Japan, and Korea. Additional skills include digital and social media video content creation such as Instagram reels and podcasts, as well as player profiling, feature writing, live broadcasting, interviewing, photography, and multilingual communication in basic français and español .
Favourite Footballing Memory
Combining a passion for backpacking with professional assignments has made it possible to pursue two goals simultaneously. Meeting and interviewing various Indonesian players pursuing careers or currently based abroad, ranging from across Southeast Asia to Europe, has been an absolute privilege and honor. Traveling independently through the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, and Japan to track down and connect with Indonesian players competing abroad remains a truly cherished experience. Crafting interview content with them is a body of work that will always hold a special place in memory.
My All-Time XI
It’s tough to lock down a definitive starting XI, but the non-negotiables are Manuel Neuer or Rogério Ceni in goal; alongside Javier Zanetti, Sergio Ramos, N'Golo Kanté, Toni Kroos, Arjen Robben, Mo Salah, and Zlatan Ibrahimović. Juan Román Riquelme or Michael Laudrup most likely complete the tactical puzzle. While legends like Lothar Matthäus, Zinedine Zidane, and Ronaldo are impossible to overlook, they were left out simply because they feature in everyone else's lineup.
