AMSTERDAM--Sebastien Haller scored his fifth Champions League goal of the season as Ajax Amsterdam beat injury-hit Turkish side Besiktas 2-0 to maintain its lead in Group C on Tuesday.
Four-time European champion Ajax now has scored seven goals in its two Champions League matches this season after routing Sporting Lisbon 5-1 two weeks ago in the Portuguese capital.
Ajax now have a full haul of six points from their two games in the group, while struggling Besiktas have lost both their games.
However, they were the first to threaten as striker Michy Batshuayi saw his shot across goal hit the post but it was a rare attack from the visitors, who were penned in their half for much of the game.
Their resistance was broken on 17 minutes when Steven Berghuis provided a calm finish from the edge of the six-yard box after Ajax captain Dusan Tadic had danced past three defenders and teed up the former Feyenoord midfielder.
Ajax looked likely to score with every attack and the second goal arrived just before halftime as Haller got his reward for a strong performance when he bundled the ball into the net at the near post from Berghuis’s cross from the right for the Ivory Coast forward to deflect the ball into the net off his thigh.
Haller is the first player to score five times in his first two Champions League matches.
Ajax, which has scored 30 goals in seven Dutch league matches this season, could have won by more against a team missing key players through injury and illness but for some poor finishing and good saves by Besiktas goalkeeper Ersin Destanoglu, who twice denied Haller and blocked a shot by substitute David Neres in the 85th.
Ajax eased up in the second half, giving Besiktas a chance to get back into the match. Kenan Karaman looked to have scored in the 62nd minute but his effort was ruled out by referee Benoit Bastien for a foul on Jurriën Timber.
Borussia Dortmund, which beat Besiktas 2-1 two weeks ago, hosted Sporting Lisbon later Tuesday. Dortmund beat Sporting 1-0 thanks to former PSV Eindhoven forward Donyell Malen’s first goal for the club to make it two wins out of two. Dortmund next play Ajax in Amsterdam on October 19.
