Dusan Tadic had a brace to lead Ajax 2-0 over AEK Athens and assure the iconic Dutch club of advancing to the Champions League knockout stage for the first time in 13 years.
The victory boosts Ajax to 11 points from five matches and leaves them atop Group E, pending the outcome of Bayern Munich's game against Benfica, reports Efe news.
Bayern started the day with 10 points, while Benfica had 4 and AEK had yet to earn a point.
The hosts, still hoping for a third-place finish that would bring a berth in the Europe League, adopted a conservative approach, ceding possession to Ajax.
Despite their dominance, the visitors failed to produce a goal in the first half and nearly conceded in the final seconds before the break on Tuesday night.
Ajax nearly took the lead in the 63rd minute, when Donny van de Beek hit the post after taking a pass from Tadic, who broke the deadlock five minutes later with a strike from the penalty spot after AEK's Marko Livaja was called for a hand ball.
The Dutch squad remained aggressive and Tadic completed the double in the 72nd minute with an assist from Klass-Jan Huntelaar.
--IANS
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