UCL: Marseille secure dominant win over Ajax

Olympique de Marseille grabbed their first three points of their 2025-2026 UEFA Champions League campaign after a dominant display over Dutch side Ajax Amsterdam at the Stade Vélodrome, securing a UCL victory at home for the first time since the 2023-2023 season. Brazilian record signing Igor Paixão fired a brace during the first period, before efforts from Mason Greenwood and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang sealed a feel-good result at the Vélodrome on Tuesday evening.

The Vélodrome was adorned with the colours of the Champions League for the first time since 2022, and OM were looking to get their first points on the board in the UEFA Champions League, after what had been a promising few weeks which saw De Zerbi's men beat PSG at the Vélodrome and Strasbourg with a last minute winner from Michael Amir Murillo.

Paixão off the mark in style!

Les Olympiens got off to the perfect start, as Aubameyang played a first-time through ball to Igor Paixao - and the Brazilian showed a deadly turn of pace latch on to it and close down on goal, to provide a killer finish for his first goal in an OM shirt (5'). Not content just getting off the mark, the Brazilian then found a second, explosive finish only minutes later with a strike from outside the box which was hammered into the net past Jaros - the Vélodrome erupted into a frenzy only 10 minutes into the game (11').

That frenzy would be elongated to the 25th minute, when Aubameyang was once again pivotal when he played another deft through-ball, this time for Mason Greenwood to latch on and slot home (25'). Les Olympiens were unstoppable, and made the most of Ajax's frailties on the counter attack and on the ball - it wouldn't be more evident than when OM returned to the second half raring to go, and caught the Dutch side on the transition - with Paixao slotting in Aubameyang and the Gabon international finishing for his first goal in the Champions League since October 2022. From then on it looked like one-way traffic for Les Olympiens, who managed to defend resiliently and see out the game for their first three points of the season in Europe.

Captain Auba. Still got it. 🌟🇬🇦 pic.twitter.com/8BSzcCnh3o
— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) September 30, 2025

THE player: Igor Paixão

Just as he was getting critics for his slow start as Marseille's record signing this summer, the Brazilian proved all the doubters wrong - and in style. He latched onto Aubameyang's through-ball and showed a deadly turn of pace to close in onto the Ajax goal and send a well-timed finish for his first-ever goal in a Marseille shirt. His second was a ferocious strike from 25 yards from goal, showing a deadly efficiency but also a tenacity to get his Marseille career up and running.

THE STAT:

Olympique de Marseille have scored in their last 6 games in the UEFA Champions League, their longest run of games with a goal in the competition (since at least 2004/2005). The last time that Marseille won their opening home match in the Champions League was in 2012.