Last season’s beaten UEFA Champions League finalists, Inter Milan, marked their return to Europe’s elite competition with a routine 2-0 victory over Ajax in Amsterdam, the Dutch side’s first appearance at this level since 2022.
Ajax boss John Heitinga made another bold selection call, leaving several big-name summer signings, including Oscar Gloukh, Raul Moro, and Kasper Dolberg, on the bench.
Instead, he trusted Youri Regeer, Oliver Edvardsen, and Wout Weghorst from the start. Inter also rotated, with Lautaro Martínez sidelined due to fitness concerns, paving the way for 20-year-old Pio Esposito to partner Marcus Thuram in attack.
The opening half was largely subdued until a controversial penalty incident in the 34th minute.
Referee Michael Oliver initially awarded Inter a spot-kick when Youri Baas tugged on Thuram’s shirt, only to reverse the decision after VAR showed the Frenchman guilty of the same offence.
Ajax almost capitalised moments later when Edvardsen released Mika Godts clean through on goal, but the Belgian winger’s tame finish was easily gathered by Yann Sommer.
That missed chance proved costly. Barely a minute later, Inter punished Ajax’s lack of ruthlessness as Thuram rose unmarked to nod in Hakan Çalhanoğlu’s corner.
The pattern continued immediately after the break, with Thuram once again heading home from a Çalhanoğlu delivery to double the Serie A champions’ lead.
From then on, Ajax rarely threatened. Their first meaningful effort of the second half arrived as late as the 69th minute, and even then Sommer remained largely untested.
Inter, in full control, managed the game comfortably without exerting further pressure. The hosts’ best late opportunity fell to substitute Dolberg, making his first Ajax appearance since 2019, but the Dane headed over from close range under pressure from Manuel Akanji.
The win sets Inter on course for yet another deep run in the competition, with Simone Inzaghi’s men chasing a fourth final in five years.
They next host Slavia Prague at San Siro. Ajax, meanwhile, must quickly regroup before travelling to face Olympique Marseille in search of their first points of the campaign.
