In his search for Ajax's first UEFA Champions League win of the season, caretaker manager Fred Grim employed a different strategy after suffering a historic home loss to Excelsior last weekend, replacing 42-year-old goalkeeper Remko Pasveer with Liverpool loanee Vitezslav Jaros, starting Japanese centre-half Ko Itakura as the team's holding midfielder and giving Belgian talent Rayane Bounida his first professional start.
Benfica, the only other pointless team in the UEFA Champions League, saw Belgian winger Dodi Lukebakio go down with a broken ankle during their 2-2 home draw against Casa Pia before the international break. Fredrik Aursnes got the start on the right wing, making space for Amar Dedic to fill in as the right-back.
After getting away with an offside infringement in the build-up to a corner, Benfica struck early in the Johan Cruyff ArenA via left-back Samuel Dahl, who emphatically fired in a rebound in the upper corner in the sixth minute.
Ajax struggled to create any chances in the opening half hour and didn't record their first shot until the 25th minute, when Bounida showed his individual class with a flashy dribble, only for his shot to be blocked. Davy Klaassen nearly put Ajax on the scoreboard seven minutes later, but had his effort saved by Anatoliy Trubin.
An uninspiring half exposed Ajax's creative poverty after attempting 14 crosses in the first half, already more than their competition of 13.5, as they headed into the break down one and with the big challenge of not becoming the last final remaining pointless team.
The hosts quickly showed their intent after Bounida tested Trubin with a powerful effort, and Davy Klaassen miraculously missed the biggest chance of the game after failing to stay calm in a rare one-on-one with the Ukrainian stopper.
Ajax kept pushing following Klaassen's chance, but it were the Portuguese who came closest to a goal when Dedic fired the ball at Jaros' near post and forced the Czech goalkeeper to get among the action for the first time in the second half.
One pointless team remains
Substitute Oscar Gloukh was the next Ajacied to test Trubin with a powerful shot - one that ended up being the last big chance Ajax would create against Benfica, who expertly stopped the Amsterdam giants from jeopardising their lead in the closing stages and added a second to close out the game in the 90th minute, when Leandro Barreiro fired in following a quick counterattack.
Mourinho and Benfica, who host Serie A champions Napoli next, ended a four-game losing streak in the Champions League with a hard-fought win in Amsterdam, leaving Ajax as the last remaining team without a single point to their name.
The four-time Europa Cup and Champions League winners have now lost seven of their last 10 games across all competitions and face Qarabag next on December 10th.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Rayane Bounida (Ajax)
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