Ajax finally have their Champions League lifeline — and it arrived in the most chaotic, emotionally charged way possible, with a 4–2 comeback win away to Qarabağ FK in Baku in the league phase of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League.
A Night That Flipped Ajax’s Season Script
For weeks, Ajax had been the story everyone pointed to when talking about fallen giants in Europe — bottom of the league phase,
no points, and a team visibly short on belief. Qarabağ, meanwhile, had punched above their weight, taking big scalps early on and sitting inside the
top 24, chasing a historic knockout-round berth.
So when the Azerbaijani champions took the lead, it felt like the same old Ajax narrative all over again.
Instead, we got something very different.
Qarabağ Strike First – And Look in Control
Qarabağ, backed by a packed
Tofiq Bahramov Stadium, started with the confidence of a side used to bloodying bigger noses on European nights.
They broke through after a defensive error from Ajax’s back line and goalkeeper
Vítězslav Jaroš, punished ruthlessly by
Camilo Durán, who scored the opener with a composed finish. Qarabağ then continued to threaten on the break through the electric
Emmanuel Adai, stretching Ajax’s fragile-looking defense.
Ajax did manage to respond through
Kasper Dolberg, who scored their
first goal from open play in this Champions League campaign, a clean, crisp strike that briefly steadied the Dutch side. But Qarabağ would not back down, and the hosts regained the lead to make it
2–1, pushing Ajax to the brink again.
Gloch and company flip the script: Ajax’s comeback from 2–1 down
This is where the story changed — and possibly Ajax’s entire European season with it.
Ajax, under interim coach
Fred Grim, finally showed the identity and resilience their fans have been waiting for.
Key moments in the turnaround:
-
Oscar Gloch (often stylized Gluke) became the central figure in the comeback, scoring to make it
2–2, his shot creeping past the Qarabağ keeper after Ajax had been saved by a big Jaroš stop moments earlier.
- With Qarabağ rattled, Ajax struck again. In a flowing move,
Konadu was involved in the build-up as Ajax sliced through the hosts and turned the game on its head to lead
3–2.
- As Qarabağ threw bodies forward chasing an equalizer, Ajax hit them in transition. A three-on-three break was finished clinically by
Gloch, who grabbed his
second of the night to seal a
4–2 victory.
From 1–0 and 2–1 down to 4–2 up in Baku — this was the kind of night Ajax “have waited for all season,” as the CBS commentary put it.
The Stats Behind the Drama
The scoreline only tells part of the story, but it does underline how wild this match was.
According to official match reports and live trackers:
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Final score: Qarabağ FK 2–4 Ajax
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Venue: Tofiq Bahramov Stadium, Baku
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Competition: UEFA Champions League 2025/26, League Phase (Matchday 6)
- Ajax came into the game as
the only team without a point in the entire league phase.
- Qarabağ had been inside the
top 24, needing points to strengthen their push for the knockout stage.
Lineup data from Sky Sports and UEFA shows Ajax fielded a mix of young players and familiar names, with Jaroš in goal and
Kasper Dolberg leading the line, supported by
Oscar Gloch in an advanced role. Qarabağ, as usual, leaned on the energy of players like
Oleksii Kashchuk and Adai, who consistently tried to drive at Ajax’s back line.
Why This Win Matters So Much for Ajax
This wasn’t just three points. It was a statement of survival.
1. First points — and first real joy — in this UCL campaign
Ajax had been stuck in a nightmare:
no wins, no points, and their only Champions League goals coming in scraps. To walk into a hostile away ground against an in-form Qarabağ side and score
four goals, including their first from open play through Dolberg, is a psychological pivot point.
For a club that sells itself on attacking football, this performance finally looked like an Ajax team that believes in itself again.
2. Interim coach Fred Grim gets his big moment
Since stepping in,
Fred Grim has been managing not just tactics but an identity crisis. His reaction on the touchline — visibly emotional as Ajax took the lead and then killed the game — said everything.
This win buys him:
- Credibility in the dressing room
- Patience from supporters
- A stronger case in any discussion about the club’s short- to medium-term direction
3. The league phase table just got a lot more interesting
The new UCL league phase format means every point matters — especially for teams chasing that
top-24 cutoff to keep their European season alive.
-
For Ajax:- They finally climb off zero, giving themselves at least a mathematical shot at staying relevant in the table.
- The manner of the win (away, comeback, four goals) could genuinely shift the momentum of their campaign.
-
For Qarabağ:- This is a gut punch.
- From a position of strength in the top 24, they’ve now opened the door for rivals to catch and potentially overtake them.
- Dropping points at home in a game where they twice led could haunt them if qualification comes down to fine margins.
Qarabağ: From giant-killers to cautionary tale?
Early in the competition, Qarabağ were the romantic story — underdogs beating big names and pushing themselves toward the knockouts. Against Ajax, they had the chance to all but cement that status.
Instead:
- Defensive lapses and game-management issues let Ajax back in.
- The high-intensity, transition-heavy style that made them dangerous also left them
overexposed once they began chasing the game.
- The match turned into exactly the kind of open, stretched contest that a technically gifted side like Ajax could exploit.
That doesn’t erase what Qarabağ have already achieved this season, but it is a reminder of how thin the line is at this level between a heroic campaign and a heartbreaking one.
Players Who Changed the Game
A few names deserve special mention:
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Oscar Gloch (Ajax) – The standout. Two crucial goals, constant movement between the lines, and the composure to finish the game off late. This was a coming-of-age European performance.
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Kasper Dolberg (Ajax) – His goal was more than just a strike; it broke a psychological barrier: Ajax’s first open-play goal of this Champions League season.
-
Vítězslav Jaroš (Ajax) – At fault for Qarabağ’s opener, but responded with at least one big save at 2–1 that kept Ajax alive — a key turning point noted in match commentary.
-
Camilo Durán (Qarabağ) – Took advantage of Ajax’s early fragility and set the tone with the opening goal.
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Emmanuel Adai (Qarabağ) – A constant outlet on the counter, regularly stretching Ajax’s defense and embodying Qarabağ’s fearless attacking approach.
What This Means Going Forward
For Ajax
This win doesn’t magically solve everything. The defensive issues are still there, and they were twice exposed in Baku. But it does give them:
- Proof they can still dig themselves out of a hole on a big European night
- A foundation to build on tactically and mentally
- A renewed attacking confidence, particularly through Gloch and Dolberg
The question now is whether this was a one-off spark — or the start of a genuine late surge in the league phase table.
For Qarabağ
Qarabağ are still very much in the conversation for a
top-24 finish, but their margin for error has shrunk. They will need to:
- Tighten up defensively, especially when leading
- Manage games better once they go in front
- Avoid turning every match into a track meet against technically superior sides
Still, their campaign remains historic by their own standards; the Ajax defeat is a brutal reminder of the level they’re competing at, not a dismissal of what they’ve done.
The Bigger Picture: A Classic of the New UCL Format
In a seaso
Sources
1. Qarabag FK v Ajax | December 10, 2025 | Goal.com US
2. Qarabağ FK vs. Ajax: Extended Highlights | UCL League Phase MD 6
3. Starting Lineups - Qarabag vs Ajax | 10.12.2025 - Sky Sports
4. Qarabağ vs Ajax | UEFA Champions League 2025/26
5. FK Qarabag 2-4 Ajax (Dec 10, 2025) Final Score - ESPN
6. Ajax wins 4-2 against Qarabağ FK - YouTube
7. Qarabag v Ajax LIVE 10/12/2025 | Soccer - Flashscore
