PLAYER RATINGS | Marseille 4-0 Ajax: Paixão, Greenwood & Aubameyang fire OM to dominant win over hapless Ajax | OneFootball

Olympique de Marseille grabbed their first three points of their 2025-2026 UEFA Champions League campaign after a dominant win 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 MATCH 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. 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.

OLYMPIQUE DE MARSEILLE PLAYER RATINGS

Gerónimo Rulli – 5

CJ Egan-Riley – 5

Nayef Aguerd – 6

Benjamin Pavard – 5

Emerson Palmieri – 6

Bilal Nadir – 6

Matt O’Riley – 6

Arthur Vermeeren – 7

An impressive outing for the Belgian midfielder, who was the more impressive out of a double pivot with Matt O’Riley. He did the simple things well, but was able to join in with the attack when needed whilst O’Riley sat deeper in midfield.

Igor Paixao – 8

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.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – 8

Following up from his effort against Strasbourg, a tie against Ajax in Europe would provide an enticing prospect. In the 2023-2024 season he had already scored five goals in two matches during the UEFA Europa League group stage. It was almost written in the stars that the Gabon international would have some kind of involvement against the Dutch outfit. That started right away when his first-time ball to Paixao saw the Brazilian score his first goal for the club, before a second assist for Mason Greenwood’s finish in the 25th minute. He capped it all off with a goal in the second half – he is simply ageing like a fine wine.

Mason Greenwood – 7

The Englishman was back in the goals on the European stage, providing a calm finish for Marseille’s third of the evening – his first since scoring during the 2021-2022 season for Manchester United against Young Boys. After a slow start he showed the intensity in pressing as well as growing confidence during the second period – he still threatened with several opportunities and some flashy dribbling near the end of the match, but the contest was truly over by that point (despite a last minute chance saved by Jaros).GFFN | George Boxall – Reporting from Stade Vélodrome, Marseille.