In brief
Davy Klaassen opened the scoring after 134 seconds, converting a rebound from a Kasper Dolberg cross.
Petar Sukacev headed Vojvodina level in the 30th minute, beating Aaron Bouwman in the air.
Steven Berghuis and Oscar Gloukh scored either side of half-time to put Ajax firmly in control at 1-3.
16-year-old Mohamed Abdalla, a former PSV youth player, netted the fourth in the 92nd minute, becoming one of Ajax's youngest ever scorers.
- Before half-timeSteven Berghuis restores Ajax's lead with a low shot, 1-2
- Just after half-timeOscar Gloukh finishes a Mika Godts move to make it 1-3
- 92nd minute16-year-old Mohamed Abdalla scores on his debut, 1-4
Fast start in Novi Sad
Ajax needed only 134 seconds to take the lead in northern Serbia. Kasper Dolberg delivered a cross that Davy Klaassen met with a shot; goalkeeper Dragan Rosic saved the initial effort but the rebound fell kindly for Klaassen to score. The early goal set the tone for a dominant first hour, with Dolberg and Steven Berghuis both going close before the half-hour mark. Ajax's attacking intent under new coach Miguel Ángel Sánchez Muñoz, known as Michel, was evident in the quick combinations and frequent positional switches.
Vojvodina's brief reply
Against the run of play, the Serbian side drew level in the 30th minute. Petar Sukacev rose above defender Aaron Bouwman to head a cross past the Ajax goalkeeper. The equaliser briefly unsettled the visitors, and Nardin Mulahusejnovic almost made it 2-1 moments later. Ajax, however, regained composure before the interval. Berghuis collected a cleared ball and drilled a low shot into the near corner to restore the lead at 1-2.
Michel's philosophy takes shape
Michel, who joined from Girona, saw his team play an hour of attacking, technically polished football. After the match he cautioned that the project needs time.
“It takes time to implement our playing style and philosophy.”
Daley Blind, the 36-year-old defender who worked with Michel at Girona, started alongside 18-year-old Aaron Bouwman in central defence. New signings Caio Henrique and Marcos Leonardo, a €19.7 million striker, began on the bench. Henrique later made his debut as a substitute. Technical director Jordi Cruijff has invested heavily in the squad, with goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen reportedly close to joining on loan from Barcelona.
Young talent seals the win
Oscar Gloukh extended the lead to 1-3 shortly after half-time, finishing a move created by Mika Godts. With the tie effectively decided, Michel introduced youngsters Abdellah Ouazane and Don-Angelo Konadu. In the 92nd minute, Ouazane set up 16-year-old Mohamed Abdalla, who scored from close range to become one of the youngest goalscorers in Ajax's history. Former Ajax captain Dusan Tadic watched from the stands in his homeland.
Twente's uphill task
While Ajax enjoyed a comfortable evening, FC Twente faced a tougher challenge in the Europa League qualifiers. They lost away to Hungarian side Ferencváros, leaving them with work to do in the return leg. Wout Weghorst, who moved from Ajax to Twente, was seen complaining to the referee about a foul. Twente must now overturn the deficit in Enschede next week to keep their European hopes alive.