Last updated on February 3rd, 2026 at 10:21 am
Ajax has succeeded in keeping their Champions League play-off hopes alive after scoring a dramatic late win against Villarreal.
Ajax, a Dutch team that had earlier been defeated in their first five European games since this session started, has now recorded a back-to-back victory to stay in the race for a top-24 finish.
Villarreal had earlier snatched possession and appeared to be nearing their first win in the tournament after a goal from Tani Oluwaseyi four minutes after the commencement of the second half.
At exactly the 61st minute of the game, Ajax hit back through a fine shot of a free kick that went past everyone and found its way into the net by Oscar Gloukh.
The victory was achieved in stoppage time after Anton Gaaei pulled back the ball for Edvardsen to gently fire home the deciding goal.
The win has pushed Ajax to six points and sitting in 31st place in the Champions League table, while they must ensure they defeat Galatasaray next week in Amsterdam to have a chance of progressing.
Villarreal, which currently sits in the third position of their local league, La Liga, has not won a game since the tournament started, with missed opportunities from Nicolas Pepe and Renato Veiga proving costly.
