Ajax Amsterdam 1 - 0 Legia Warszawa - Ajax hold on for victory

Ajax found a way to beat Legia Warsaw on Thursday, riding their luck as they won 1-0 in the Europa League round-of-32 first leg.

Arkadiusz Milik scored for Ajax during a dominant first half, but their Polish opponents turned up the heat in the second and can consider themselves unlucky not to take at least a draw back with them.

They squandered chance after chance - belying their poor form domestically - but will be in with a real shout if they can replicate the performance in the return leg.

Ajax took on the majority of the early running, Anwar El Ghazi having the first chance when his six-yard effort was tipped wide by Dusan Kuciak.

Riechedly Bazoer then went close, whizzing in a shot from a similar distance which crept wide.

Legia briefly threatened and Michal Zyro had a right-footed strike well saved by Jasper Cillessen.

Ajax carried the most menace, though, and with 11 minutes of the half to go went in front.

Milik got clear off a pass from Ricardo Kishna and duly slotted in from just inside the box to give his side the lead.

It would have been more by the break too, but El Ghazi was off target when the ball fell to him inside the six-yard box.

Orlando Sa tried to make him pay for the miss after the restart but he miscued from a similar distance, while the away side's improvements continued as Marques Guilherme drew a save from Cillessen and Zyro blasted over on the rebound.

It was quickly becoming a worrying period for Ajax and Lukasz Maslowski passed up another chance, hitting against a cluster of defenders in the box.

Cillessen was back in action to save from Michal Kucharczyk, although he was less than convincing as he fumbled a Sa shot - to no further damage - in the 65th minute.

The one-way traffic continued and Sa's header was held by the keeper, but Legia were unable to make one of their opportunities count.