AMSTERDAM (Interstat) — Ajax scored twice in the final minutes to beat Atalanta 2-0 on Thursday, converting a long, patient performance into a late home win. Toluwalase Arokodare broke the deadlock in the 87th minute, and Abdellah Ouazane sealed the result in the third minute of stoppage time. Ajax improved to 1-1 in the competition and 6-2-3 across all competitions. Atalanta dropped to 1-1 in the competition and 3-5 across all competitions.

For much of the match, Ajax held the ball and probed for openings while Atalanta defended in numbers and looked to counter. The home side’s pressure did not produce a goal until the closing stages, when Arokodare made the decisive contribution. Arokodare, who played 24 minutes, finished with one goal and one assist. Youri Baas recorded an assist, and Ouazane, who played 28 minutes, scored the second goal. The first breakthrough arrived in the 87th minute when Arokodare scored. Ajax then secured the points in stoppage time when Ouazane found the net, with Arokodare and Baas among the players involved in the buildup. Atalanta’s defense held through the first half and into the second, and Ajax had to move the ball from side to side in search of space.

Atalanta’s resistance was finally broken after a match that featured several fouls and interruptions. Ajax’s Sofyan Amrabat was booked in first-half stoppage time. Atalanta’s Lazar Samardzic was cautioned in the 68th minute, and Nicola Zalewski followed in the 86th. Ajax’s M. ter Stegen was booked in the second minute of stoppage time. Both teams used substitutions to change the shape and tempo. Atalanta brought on Charles De Ketelaere in the 62nd minute, while Ajax introduced Davy Klaassen and Oscar Gloukh at the same stage. Ajax also brought on Marcos Leonardo in the 66th minute. Atalanta turned to Gianluca Scamacca in the 72nd and then to Gianluca Gaetano and Eljif Elmas in the 80th. Ajax’s Julian Brandt entered in the first minute of stoppage time. The second half grew more fractured as the teams traded set pieces and midfield challenges.

The late goals rewarded Ajax for its persistence. Atalanta had kept the game compact and limited Ajax’s clearest chances for long stretches, but the visitors could not hold out through the final minutes. Ajax’s first goal changed the mood inside the stadium and forced Atalanta to chase the game. The second goal arrived deep in stoppage time and removed any remaining doubt. The two late goals decided the contest, which had remained scoreless into its final phase. Atalanta could not convert its late possession into a goal. The result gave Ajax a split of its first two competition matches and continued a strong overall run. Atalanta’s competition record also stood at one win and one loss after the match.

Ajax’s overall record stood at 6-2-3. Atalanta’s overall mark stood at 3-5. The match remained tight until the late breakthrough. The goals from Arokodare and Ouazane came after Ajax had cycled through substitutions and pushed more numbers forward. Baas’s assist was part of the buildup, while Arokodare’s goal and assist made him the central figure in the closing minutes. Atalanta’s yellow cards to Samardzic and Zalewski came as Ajax pressed for the opener. Ajax’s clean sheet was preserved through stoppage time as Atalanta could not find a response.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Ajax 1, Atalanta 1. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Ajax with a 70.3 percent probability to win. Ajax had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -0.5. The total score of 2 went over the over/under line of 3.5.