Olympique Marseille thrashed four-time European champions Ajax 4-0 at the Stade Vélodrome, handing the Dutch side the heaviest Champions League defeat in their history.
Ajax manager John Heitinga, who said before the match he wanted courageous and audacious football, deployed Oscar Gloukh as a false nine with Kasper Dolberg and Wout Weghorst sidelined by injuries. Roberto De Zerbi, in the opposite dugout, started former Feyenoord winger Igor Paixão alongside Pierre Emerick Aubameyang, who had scored six goals in three previous meetings with Ajax.
Ajax opened with tight man marking, but Marseille exploited it immediately. Centre back Nayef Aguerd launched a long pass that Aubameyang helped on, releasing Paixão one-on-one with Vitezslav Jaros. The Brazilian finished coolly in the sixth minute. Six minutes later, Paixão struck again, drilling in from outside the area to double the lead.
Marseille were rampant and made it 3-0 before the half hour. Mason Greenwood raced clear into acres of space after Aubameyang’s pass and finished with ease past Jaros. Ajax offered almost nothing going forward, mustering only a speculative effort from Steven Berghuis from 35 metres on the stroke of half-time that was blocked at source.
Any faint hope of a response disappeared inside the first ten minutes of the second half. From a free kick deep in Marseille territory, the hosts broke at pace and Aubameyang found himself through on goal, sliding the ball beyond Jaros to cap a devastating counter. With the points secure, Marseille eased off, allowing Ajax to fashion their first real chances, yet Oliver Edvardsen, Kenneth Taylor and Mika Godts could not find a way past the home defence.
The 4-0 scoreline equals Ajax’s record away defeat in the competition, matching reverses against Barcelona in 2013 and Bayern Munich in 2004. Marseille, meanwhile, claim a third straight win and travel to Sporting Portugal next. Ajax face Sparta Rotterdam on Saturday, with Heitinga under mounting pressure before a daunting trip to Chelsea on 22 October.
