Soccer Football - UEFA Champions League - Qarabag v Ajax Amsterdam - Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium, Baku, Azerbaijan - December 10, 2025 Ajax Amsterdam's Kasper Dolberg celebrates scoring their first goal with teammates REUTERS/Aziz Karimov
BAKU, Dec 10 (Reuters) - Ajax Amsterdam claimed their first points of this season's Champions League when they netted three late goals in a 4-2 win at Qarabag on Wednesday, while struggling Villarreal fell to a 3-2 loss at home to FC Copenhagen.
Qarabag are 21st in the standings, level on seven points with Copenhagen in 23rd while Ajax move off the bottom to 33rd on three points and Villarreal are 35th with one point. The top eight qualify for the last 16, with the next 16 going into the playoffs for the other eight spots.
Qarabag went in front in the 10th minute when Camilo Duran chased down a long pass and got to the ball ahead of his marker before lobbing the advancing Ajax keeper Vitezslav Jaros who had come to the edge of his area.
Ajax equalised six minutes before the break with Kasper Dolberg cutting inside and rifling a shot from distance into the bottom corner, but the hosts retook the lead two minutes after halftime when Matheus Silva's shot took a deflection off defender Lucas Rosa.
Oscar Gloukh drew Ajax level again 11 minutes from time with a drilled low shot into the bottom corner and four minutes later the visitors were ahead through Anton Gaaei and Gloukh made sure of the win with another goal in the final minute.
Copenhagen took a second-minute lead after Marcos Lopez floated a cross into the box and Mohamed Elyounoussi timed his run to perfection to finish with a volley from inside the six-yard area.
Villarreal equalised two minutes after halftime when Santi Comesana bundled the ball into the net sliding in at the back post but Copenhagen were back in front one minute later through Elias Achouri's first-time finish from Yoram Zague's cross.
The hosts drew level again in the 56th minute with Tani Oluwaseyi taking the ball into the area and poking his shot through the legs of defender Junnosuke Suzuki and past Copenhagen keeper Dominik Kotarski.
Copenhagen silenced the home crowd in the 90th minute when Andreas Cornelius reacted quickest to a blocked effort from Elyounoussi and pounced to net the winner to leave Villarreal, who are third in LaLiga, on the brink of elimination.
(Reporting by Trevor StynesEditing by Toby Davis)
