For most of the evening in Amsterdam, Atalanta looked capable of leaving with something from their Conference League trip. They were not always comfortable, and Ajax created the more persistent attacking pressure, but the Italian side remained in contention deep into the second half. Then came the closing minutes, when the balance of the game changed completely.
Ajax won 2–0 at the Johan Cruijff ArenA on October 22, scoring through substitutes Tolu Arokodare in the 87th minute and Abdellah Ouazane in stoppage time. The defeat was Atalanta’s first in this season’s Conference League campaign, following their 3–1 home victory over Pafos in the opening round. The numbers leave the Bergamo side on three points from two matches, with three goals scored and three conceded.
The scoreline may look straightforward, but the game was not settled until very late. That is precisely what makes the defeat frustrating for Maurizio Sarri’s team: Atalanta had survived the home side’s pressure, found moments to threaten and appeared to be approaching a draw. Yet they failed to make their own opportunities count and lost control when the final stretch demanded the greatest concentration.

Ajax started with more urgency

The home side made its intentions clear early. Ajax moved the ball forward quickly, looked for combinations around the penalty area and tried to force Atalanta’s defensive line into difficult decisions. One of the clearest early warnings came in the fifth minute, when Lucas Rosa’s effort took a deflection and struck the post.
Atalanta were required to defend with patience. Marco Carnesecchi had work to do, while Ajax continued to look for openings through its wide players and the movement of the forwards. The Dutch side did not turn that pressure into an early goal, however, and the visitors gradually found ways to move beyond the first wave of pressing.
Gianluca Scamacca tried to make an impact after a corner, and Atalanta’s best first-half opportunity arrived through a move involving Charles De Ketelaere and Davide Zappacosta. The ball reached Gianluca Gaetano in a promising position, but his finish went over the crossbar. It was a significant moment because the visitors had created a chance capable of changing the mood before half-time.
The teams went into the break at 0–0. Ajax had looked more threatening over longer spells, but Atalanta were still in the match. For the visitors, the challenge was to turn isolated attacking moments into a more consistent threat after the restart.

The second half became a test of patience

Ajax resumed with the same attacking purpose. Julian Brandt came close, and Rosa again found space to test the Atalanta defence. Carnesecchi helped keep the score level, allowing Sarri’s team to remain within reach of a result.
Atalanta tried to change the rhythm through their bench. Lazar Samardžić replaced De Ketelaere, Nikola Krstović came on for Scamacca, and later Mario Pašalić and Jonathan Rowe were introduced. The changes gave the visitors fresh options, but they did not produce the decisive attacking moment the team needed.
There was still an opportunity to take the lead or at least put Ajax under real pressure. In the 85th minute, Rowe helped create an opening for Nicola Zalewski, who received the ball in a promising position but could not direct his shot on target. It was the sort of chance that becomes more important when a match is heading towards a goalless finish.
Two minutes later, Atalanta were behind.

Arokodare changes the game

Ajax’s opening goal came in the 87th minute, when Arokodare used his physical strength to win a long ball from Youri Baas. Relja Obrić was unable to contain the forward in the aerial and physical contest, and Arokodare carried the move through to finish past Carnesecchi.
The goal was a reminder of the particular threat a fresh striker can bring late in a game. Arokodare had come on from the bench and offered Ajax a different kind of reference point up front. Rather than relying only on intricate passing, the home side could now target a forward capable of challenging defenders directly and attacking the space behind them.
For Atalanta, the problem was not simply that one defender lost a duel. The team had spent much of the match trying to protect a narrow margin for error, and a single breakdown at the back was enough to undo that work. In a close European contest, defending well for 85 minutes does not guarantee a point if the final phase is managed poorly.

Ouazane seals the win in stoppage time

Atalanta had little time to recover from the opening goal. In the third minute of added time, Ajax struck again. Arokodare was involved once more, and the move ended with Abdellah Ouazane driving into the area and finishing with a powerful left-footed effort.
The second goal settled the match and gave Ajax a more emphatic victory than the long period of uncertainty had suggested. It also highlighted the impact of the home side’s substitutions: both goals came from players who had entered during the second half.
For Ajax, the result mattered beyond the three points. The team had lost its opening match against Hajduk Split and needed a response in front of its own supporters. Beating Atalanta offered that response, while the manner of the victory will give the Dutch side encouragement about the depth of its attacking options.

Sarri’s assessment: solid work, costly mistakes

Sarri acknowledged that Atalanta had defended well for long periods, while also recognising that the team made more mistakes after the break. His post-match comments reflected the central contradiction of the evening: the performance had enough structure to keep Ajax from scoring for most of the game, but not enough precision to protect the result at the end.
That distinction matters. It would be too simplistic to dismiss the whole performance because of the final score, just as it would be wrong to ignore the mistakes that decided it. Atalanta had periods of defensive discipline, but their attacking play lacked the finishing touch that could have changed the pressure on Ajax. When the home side made its final push, the visitors were unable to keep the same level of control.
The squad context is also relevant. Atalanta travelled to Amsterdam with several absences, particularly in defence. That reduced Sarri’s options and placed extra responsibility on a back line that needed to handle Ajax’s movement and the physical challenge posed by Arokodare. Injuries are not an excuse for every mistake, but they are part of the circumstances in which the match was played.
Obrić’s duel with Arokodare will naturally attract attention because it led directly to the breakthrough. Still, the fairest assessment should consider the whole sequence rather than turning one moment into a verdict on a young defender. The lesson is practical: the team needs better communication and protection against long balls when the game reaches its final minutes.

What the result means for the standings

After beating Pafos 3–1 and losing 2–0 to Ajax, Atalanta have three points from their first two Conference League fixtures. Their goal difference stands at zero, with three goals scored and three conceded. In the standings supplied after matchday two, they sit 15th.
That position is far from decisive at this stage. The league phase is still in its early rounds, and teams can move quickly with a run of wins. Panathinaikos, Lugano, Brann, Trabzonspor, Twente, Monaco, St. Truiden and Hajduk Split have all taken six points from their opening two matches. Ajax, meanwhile, have joined Atalanta on three points after their first victory.
The table should be read as an early snapshot rather than a forecast. Atalanta have enough time to improve their position, but the defeat increases the importance of their next match. In a competition where every point contributes to the final league-phase ranking, losing a game in the closing minutes can be costly even when the overall campaign remains open.

The next challenge: Kairat Almaty

Atalanta’s next Conference League fixture is scheduled for November 5, when they host Kairat Almaty. The match offers an immediate opportunity to respond, collect three points and avoid allowing the Amsterdam defeat to become the start of a negative run.
Sarri’s priorities are clear: protect the space behind the defensive line, reduce mistakes under late pressure and make better use of the chances created in transition. The team does not need to reinvent everything after one defeat, but it does need to learn from the moments that decided this one.
Ajax deserved credit for staying aggressive and finding the decisive quality through its substitutes. Atalanta, on the other hand, must take the disappointment seriously without losing perspective. The match was competitive for a long time, yet European football often turns on a handful of moments. In Amsterdam, Ajax handled those moments better.

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