Ajax manager John Heitinga opted to bench several of his team's expensive summer transfers, including Oscar Gloukh, Raul Moro, and Kasper Dolberg. This allowed other players, such as Oliver Edvardsen and Wout Weghorst, to gain more playing time.

Inter's star striker Lautaro Martinez was absent from the starting lineup due to fitness issues, with 20-year-old Pio Esposito taking his place alongside Marcus Thuram.

The match got off to a quiet start, but Inter were awarded a penalty in the 34th minute after Ajax defender Youri Baas was penalized for pulling Marcus Thuram's shirt. However, the referee later canceled the penalty and gave Ajax a free kick instead.

Inter eventually broke the deadlock in the 35th minute, when Marcus Thuram headed the ball in from a corner taken by Hakan Calhanoglu. The Frenchman doubled Inter's lead two minutes after halftime, heading in another Calhanoglu corner.

Ajax struggled to create any meaningful chances throughout the second half, with Inter's lead never truly under threat. The Italian side comfortably won their first game of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League and will look to build on this momentum in their next match against Slavia Prague.

Ajax, who played their first Champions League game since the group stage of the 2022/23 season, will look to get their first points of the campaign in their next match against Olympique Marseille.